Final three contracts for widening to be awarded

Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2003 | 9:30 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- Efforts to ease growing traffic congestion in Las Vegas are set to move forward in the fiscal year that starts Oct. 1.

In the coming months, the state Transportation Department will award the final three contracts to widen the five-mile stretch of U.S. 95 between Martin Luther King Boulevard and the Rainbow Curve. The six lanes of that section of highway will be expanded to 10 lanes.

Kent Cooper, assistant director of planning for the department, said $230 million will be spent on the three projects and work should be completed in 2006 or 2007.

The project has been a priority of the department since Gov. Kenny Guinn complained several years ago about the backup of traffic on that section of highway.

The state Transportation Board on Tuesday approved condemnations to acquire property for the U.S. 95 project. Included were five properties north of U.S. 95 between Martin Luther King and Rancho Drive, and two properties south of U.S. 95 east of Torrey Pines Drive.

The U.S. 95 widening projects were included in the $544 million state budget for new construction for the fiscal year starting Oct. 1. Ninety percent of the state budget is to be spent in Clark County. The construction program is funded by federal and state dollars.

The total amount of construction money to be spent in Clark County is $626.6 million this coming fiscal year but part of that comes from local governments and private developers, Cooper said.

Among other major projects in Southern Nevada are $40 million for building a third northbound lane on Interstate 15 from Primm to St. Rose Parkway; $30 million for the widening of St. Rose Parkway near Henderson; and $15 million for a freeway management system to be housed at I-215 and Decatur Boulevard to control traffic signals, road condition signs and other items. There will a groundbreaking ceremony Monday for the management system.

In addition to the $500 million in state and federal funds ticketed for new projects for Clark County, there are $126 million budgeted for maintenance, safety projects, new signals and environmental programs.

The Transportation Board, headed by Guinn, approved a total of $926.3 million statewide to be funded by the federal, state and local governments plus private development funds.

Cooper explained that 91 percent of the federal and state money for new construction is going to Clark County because there are already major projects started in Washoe County for $100 million on the I-580 freeway and $68 million for the first leg of the freeway in Carson City.

One of the largest chunks of money earmarked for Clark County -- $100 million to construct a new bridge for the Hoover Dam bypass -- is contingent upon funding from the would come from the federal transportation spending bill, however, and on Tuesday the House postponed new transportation funding for five months.

Cooper said there is no assurance the state will receive that money this year.

Arizona has already started working on the new approaches to the dam and Nevada is getting ready to begin on its side, he said.

Fontaine told the board that the interim highway budget being put together by Congress would still include an increase of $20 million to $30 million in federal money for Nevada.

At Tuesday's budget meeting, Guinn also raised a red flag about millions of dollars in potential additional costs for sound walls adjacent to I-215 in Southern Nevada. The walls shield nearby homeowners from the noise of the traffic. Guinn was told it costs about $2 million to construct a mile of sound wall.

Guinn said he was concerned because there are a lot of houses being build alongside I-215.

"It is not a good situation," Guinn said. "It's going to be a real issue out there."

Guinn said the state might have to spend the extra money for the sound walls.

State Transportation Director Jeff Fontaine told the board it's been a "frustrating situation." The state requires a 50 percent match from local governments, and it's the responsibility of local governments to prohibit developments along freeways, he said.