Boulder City, Henderson officials on collision course over freeway projects

Wednesday, Nov. 23, 2005 | 7:18 a.m.

It's not exactly road rage, but Boulder City and Henderson could wind up honked off at each other in a budding dispute over which of two freeway projects should be built first.

In the legislative equivalent of cutting off another driver, Boulder City Councilman Roger Tobler, the city's representative on the Regional Transportation Commission, wants the state Transportation Department to construct a 10-mile section of new freeway that swings south of Boulder City before joining a three-mile section of U.S. 93/95 leading to Henderson.

Boulder City officials fear traffic jams and accidents will result when a bridge downstream from Hoover Dam opens in mid-2008, bringing an additional 2,000 trucks daily through the city.

After the 9/11 terrorist attacks raised concerns over an attack against the dam, truck traffic on U.S. 93 was rerouted to U.S. 95 through Laughlin.

Although no timetable has been set for constructing the 10-mile section of bypass leading from the Colorado River to U.S. 95, Boulder City officials are concerned it will not be completed until at least 2024.

Tobler said it does not make sense to start the bypass project in Henderson when Boulder City will be inundated with so much traffic on U.S. 93. The Henderson improvements, he said, are unrelated to the bypass because they are so far away from the new bridge over the Colorado River.

"To have a two-lane highway going through a residential and business section doesn't make sense to me," Tobler said. "That is ridiculous. The traffic jams now at the dam are going to be moved into Boulder City."

The Transportation Department, which consulted with local governments, called for building the Henderson section first because of its lower cost and accident rate, said Kent Cooper, the Transportation Department's assistant director. The phase that starts near Wagonwheel Drive is a natural progression for extending the U.S. 95 freeway south, he said.

Cooper, saying he understands Boulder City's concerns, stressed that it is up to the city to work with the RTC to urge the state to change the bypass plans.

Boulder City is likely to face opposition from Henderson to change the project's phasing. Henderson Public Works Director Bob Murnane said the city prefers that the U.S. 95 improvements be completed first because there are frequent accidents and road closures on the four-lane highway through Railroad Pass.

Henderson Councilwoman Amanda Cyphers said she is willing to talk about what's best for the region but does not want to see the improvements in Henderson delayed.

"We always want to put our city first above everyone else," Cyphers said. "That is our charge. We would try to fight for ourselves if they want to take our funds first."

Because it is tied into U.S. 95, the first phase through Henderson will carry more traffic than the bypass around Boulder City, Cooper said.

The three-mile section of U.S. 95 is estimated to cost $160 million, while the cost of the 10-mile section of U.S. 93 though the mountains is expected to approach $300 million.

Only $42 million in federal funds has been designated for the project so far, leaving a large gap yet to be funded by Congress or other sources. Because construction cannot begin until all of the funds are in place, switching phases -- and the resulting higher price tag -- would delay the work, Cooper said.

"We wanted to get the ball rolling," Cooper said of going with the lower-cost Henderson phase first. "The sooner you get out there, you start building more momentum for the project."

Tobler said he is concerned that Congress, because of budget deficits, may delay future funding of the project to deal with Hurricane Katrina and other national needs. Boulder City already faces a tough fight with the rest of the Las Vegas area when it comes to funding for projects, he said.

Because of the bypass expense and limited state gasoline tax funds, Cooper said Nevada has not been able to contribute to the project beyond matching dollars required by the federal government.

As for Nevada's congressional delegation, Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid said through his spokeswoman, Tessa Hafen, that the phasing should be decided by local officials.

Brian Wargo can be reached at 259-4011 or at wargo@lasvegassun.com.