Officials: Expect holiday delays

Friday, May 23, 2003 | 10:13 a.m.

Whether travelers in Southern Nevada come by car, plane or boat this Memorial Day weekend, they can expect delays at Hoover Dam, McCarran International Airport and at Lake Mead.

Everything from the heightened national security level affecting the dam and the airport to lower levels of water at Lake Mead combined with increased visitors arriving for the three-day weekend will contribute to the delays, officials said.

Motorists planning to drive across Hoover Dam during the weekend should expect heavy and slower-than-normal traffic, Bureau of Reclamation spokesman Bob Walsh said.

Tonight, Saturday and Monday are projected to be the busiest traffic days at the dam, Walsh said.

It could take a hours to inch across Hoover Dam, he said. Peak traffic hours are from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

From mid-morning until about noon on Saturday, about 500 members of the Vietnam Veterans Motorcycle Club and their associates will ride across the dam in their fifth annual Memorial Day motorcycle ride, Walsh said. The group plans to ride from the Arizona side of the dam to the Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Boulder City. Hoover Dam Police, National Park Service rangers and park police and Boulder City police will escort the group as they ride.

Hoover Dam police will manage traffic and visitors, and motorists are reminded that the speed limit across the dam is only 15 mph and will be strictly enforced.

Since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, vehicle restrictions have remained in place on the dam. Commercial trucks and buses with luggage are prohibited from crossing the dam. Recreational vehicles, self-moving trucks, boats and trailers, and pickups with camper shells or other coverings will be inspected before crossing the dam.

All vehicles, including passenger cars and their contents, are subject to inspection, Walsh said.

McCarran Airport expects packed parking areas and plenty of people, but most of the security measures in effect under the national "orange alert" will hardly be noticeable, airport spokeswoman Hilarie Grey said.

The remote parking lot on Russell Road at Kelly Lane is expected to open when the garage is full, Grey said. Signs will direct drivers to the remote lot and the charge is $2 for the first hour and $8 maximum per day.

Lake Mead National Recreation Area remains a great place to visit on Memorial Day, National Park Service spokeswoman Roxanne Dey said.

While low water levels reveal new sandbars, reefs and rocks, there are advantages, Dey said. Low water means extra beach and parking available, but motorists should stay in designated parking areas.

Personal watercraft are allowed on 95 percent of Lakes Mead and Mohave, Dey said. All nine marinas in the park are open and offer services ranging from restaurant meals to boat rentals.

For updated information on Lake Mead's conditions, the website is: www.nps.gov/lame.