State to spend $50 million more for river bridge

Thursday, March 25, 2004 | 9:19 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- The state Board of Transportation Friday is expected to approve committing $50 million in previously approved bond money to the construction of the new bridge over the Colorado River.

The bridge is part of the Hoover Dam bypass project, and if Nevada and Arizona don't step up with $100 million, it will delay the completion of the project that is scheduled to be finished in late 2008, state Transportation Director Jeff Fontaine said.

During a public meeting at the Transportatin Department offices in Las Vegas this morning, the state Transportation Board was to consider approving $50 million of the $190 million in bonds approved last year for highway construction.

The board also was to receive a briefing from Jacob Snow, executive director of the Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada, on transportation issues in Clark County -- but the big-ticket item on the agenda is the Hoover Dam bypass.

Nevada and Arizona already allocated $20 million each for the $234 million project. Fontaine said he hopes to recover the additional $50 million Nevada commitment from federal discretionary highway funds. Fontaine said the project has received $104.5 million during the last six years from federal discretionary grants.

The new bridge, which is 1,500 feet downstream from Hoover Dam, is designed and ready for construction. But there's no money available yet to start work. Fontaine said using the $50 million in existing available bonds will not delay other projects in Nevada.

Since Sept. 11, 2001, almost all truck traffic has been diverted away from Hoover Dam. Fontaine said there are an estimated 2,100 trucks a day that have to take a lengthy detour that is costing the trucking industry more than $30 million a year.

David Zanetell, federal manager of the Hoover Dam bypass project, said Wednesday construction on the Nevada side that includes six bridges and 2.8 miles of roadway should be completed in the late summer of 2005. He said work on the 1.8 miles on the Arizona side will be finished late this summer.

The federal Highway Administration is in charge of the construction project.

Zanetell said the project has been in the talking stage since the 1960s and construction started last year. When completed, there will be a four-lane bridge across the Colorado River.

The project is to relieve traffic congestion in the Hoover Dam area and to add to motorist safety. The accident rate, he said, is three times greater in this area than on other sections of U.S. 93.

Fontaine said the construction is now on schedule and under budget.

After the span is built over the river, Fontaine said $12 million to $15 million will be spent to pave the approaches to the bridge. He said there will be a large volume of construction vehicles during the building of the bridge, and the paving will be done after they have finished their work.