Work to begin on highway interchange

Wednesday, July 23, 2003 | 9:52 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- Work is expected to begin in late September or early October on a new interchange for Interstate 515/U.S. 95 at Lake Mead Drive in Henderson, the state Transportation Department announced Tuesday.

The department on Monday awarded an $82.2 million contract to Washington Group International Inc. of Las Vegas to build the "Henderson Spaghetti Bowl" which will link I-515/U.S. 95 with Lake Mead Drive as that roadway transforms into Interstate 215. Washington Group International had submitted the lowest of six bids, officials said.

Scott Magruder, spokesman for the transportation department, said the original bid of Washington Group of $91.6 million included other aspects of the project. The $82.2 million was the base bid and what the department will pay for the project. The department's engineer had estimated that the work would cost $86.2 million.

The project will include six lanes of freeway from I-515/U.S. 95 to Stephanie Street, the interchange at I-515/U.S. 95 and Gibson Road and an overpass at the railroad tracks. Work should be completed in two and a half years.

"There is no question that this project is critical to mobility in the southeastern part of our valley as well as regionally," said Jacob Snow, general manager of the Regional Transportation Commission, said.

"Without this interchange, we would continue experience a huge bottleneck, not only lengthening travel times and causing unnecessary driver frustration but adversely impacting our air quality."

The transportation department estimates that in 2001 an average of 50,900 vehicles used the existing ramps at the intersection each weekday. Those ramps will be replaced by the new interchange.

The RTC projects the daily vehicle numbers will rise to 72,200 in 2005; to 127,100 in 2010; and to 152,200 in 2025.

"As we forecast traffic volumes to increase (greatly) on this stretch of roadway by 2025 the I-515/I-215 interchange is rightfully one of the critical super projects in our state," Snow said.

The transportation department said the average weekday traffic volume on Lake Mead Drive between Gibson Road and Van Wagenen Street was 101,000 vehicles in 2001. Snow's agency projects it will be 126,400 on the same stretch in 2005; 229,500 in 2010; and 279,400 in 2025.