Repair of leaks will slow traffic in airport tunnel

Stephen Curran

Tuesday, June 14, 2005 | 9:39 a.m.

The drops of water seeping through the airport connector tunnel leading from I-215 East to the Strip are nothing to worry about, McCarran International Airport officials said Monday.

But they say it's enough of a bother for drivers who use the popular shortcut each day for the county Aviation Department to spend $1.2 million from its operating revenue to fix it.

Workers from Boulder Construction Inc. began repairing the cracks in the tunnel roof Monday night, the first step in a three-month-long process that includes injecting expansive foam into the cracks, Debbie Millet, an airport spokeswoman, said.

The project's cost will be paid with revenues from airline fees and space rentals and will not cost taxpayers a dime, she said.

The repairs, expected to wrap up in September, will limit traffic in both directions to one lane and will reduce the speed limit to 35 mph between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m., Sundays through Thursdays.

The leaks, which had become a common complaint for the airport's public relations department, were the result of regular run-off from overhead runways and never presented a structural hazard, she said.

"It's normal seepage," Millet said. "... But it's obviously something customers are not comfortable with."

The drips are barely a passing thought for Chris Seldomridge, a manager at MotoTrends Motorcycle Accessories and Service in the 6000 block of Pecos Road. An avid motorcyclist for the past seven years, Seldomridge said gravel from large trucks and other industrial equipment already makes Southern Nevada roads a dangerous place for those who prefer to commute on two wheels, he said.

"It's, like, the least of our worries," Seldomridge said. "... But it's dripped on me quite a few times. I've come to expect it but there's much larger issues."

The only times the water creates a problem is when it starts to puddle, creating a risk of hydroplaning for motorcyclists, he said.

But, given the heavy police presence in the tunnel, the tunnel is not a route Seldomridge said savvy bikers often take anyway.

"You can get yourself arrested or pulled over through there," he said.

Millet said that may be even more true while this work is going on because of the reduced speed limit.