U.S. 95 widening expected to be completed in 2006

Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2003 | 9:42 a.m.

SUN CAPITAL BUREAU

CARSON CITY -- Under an accelerated schedule, the widening of U.S. 95 in Las Vegas from six to 10 lanes to reduce major traffic congestion should be completed in 2006, state Transportation Director Tom Stephens says.

The U.S. 95-Interstate 215 interchange in Henderson should be finished in 2005, Stephens said Monday after a hearing of his budget before the Senate Finance and the Assembly Ways and Means committees.

He said there is $300 million worth of work to be done on U.S. 95 and $100 million on the Henderson project.

Gov. Kenny Guinn, in his State of the State message, said he wants to issue $514 million in bonds to speed up construction on major projects in Southern and Northern Nevada. The state Transportation Board, of which he is chairman, voted approval today for the sale of $199 million in bonds, the first of two phases in financing.

The $514 million would be in addition to other money budgeted for these projects.

Stephens told the budget committees there is "no better time to borrow money," because of the low interest rates. And the accelerated pace will result in 10,000 jobs over a two-year period.

The highway director said the new schedule will mean completion of the northern part of the freeway through Carson City by 2006. That project will go to bid in the fall.

Guinn, in his message to the Legislature, said there would be enough financing for these projects. But Stephens said this will only complete half of the Carson project. And it won't be enough to finish a freeway from south of Reno to Carson City.

In his presentation to the budget committees, Stephen said Clark County received $111.5 million or 79 percent of the money for new projects in fiscal 2002. He said Clark got 35 percent or $48.3 million for maintenance projects.

Overall Clark County received 56 percent of the $229 million construction budget.

Of the total 5,485 miles in the road system in Nevada, 78 percent is in the rural counties and only 15 percent in Clark County. That's why the rural counties receive 62 percent of the money for maintenance but get only 18 percent of the money for new construction.

Stephens also told the committees his department supports legislation to lower the blood alcohol level to be considered drunk while driving from 0.10 to 0.08. There will be two bills introduced in this session and he said the department will support both.

Without this legislation, the state could lose up to $29 million in federal highway construction money over the next five years.