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November 22, 2009

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TRANSPORTATION:

NDOT to widen Lake Mead Parkway

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Kyle Hansen

The Nevada Department of Transportation plans to widen Lake Mead Parkway in Henderson, seen here where it intersects with Boulder Highway. It will be expanded from Boulder Highway to just before where it intersects with Lake Las Vegas Parkway.

By Kyle Hansen (contact)

Thursday, July 30, 2009 | 1:59 a.m.

Lake Mead Parkway

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The public may submit written comments to NDOT about the Lake Mead Parkway project until Aug. 12 by mailing Dan McMartin, Nevada Department of Transportation, 1263 S. Stewart Street, Carson City, NV, 89712; or by e-mailing info@dot.state.nev.us.

The Nevada Department of Transportation has plans in the works to widen Lake Mead Parkway east of Boulder Highway, thereby improving access to the Lake Las Vegas resort community.

Plans presented by the transportation department Tuesday at Henderson City Hall call for widening 4.5 miles of Lake Mead Parkway to six lanes from the current four.

Once complete, the road, which is also State Route 564, will be three lanes wide in each direction from Interstate 215 to Golda Way, which is just before Lake Las Vegas Parkway.

The $17.5 million project is being built with funds from the Federal Highway Administration with a small contribution from the Regional Transportation Commission, said City Engineer Jonna Sansom.

Construction on the road should begin in January, NDOT Project Manager Dan McMartin said, and is expected to be completed within a year.

McMartin said the expanded road would be able to handle future increases in traffic to the areas it serves, including Lake Las Vegas and the Lake Mead National Recreation Area.

The project originally included a new interchange at Lake Mead Parkway and Lake Las Vegas Parkway, including a flyover ramp.

That part of the project was scrapped after objections from a developer who has proposed building homes at the site of the former Three Kids Mine.

If and when that development is built, NDOT would consider building a new interchange to serve both communities, McMartin said.

In the meantime, it didn’t make sense to put the entire Lake Mead Parkway project on hold, waiting for a development that is still years away because an expanded road will be needed one way or the other, he said.

“Probably everybody has noticed development has gone down because of the economy, but over a period of time, (our traffic) projections should be pretty accurate,” McMartin said.

The project seems to have little opposition, largely because the project will be built within the existing right-of-way, eliminating the need to purchase land and minimizing negative impacts on businesses and the environment, McMartin said.

The project also includes extending the existing frontage road on the north side of Lake Mead from Burkholder Boulevard to Warm Springs Road.

Included in NDOT’s project is the construction of a pedestrian and bicycle trail from Boulder Highway to Ash Street along the southern side of Lake Mead Parkway.

The city plans to later expand the trail, creating a six-mile connection between the Boulder Highway corridor and the existing trails in the Lake Mead National Recreation Area.

Tuesday’s meeting was held to provide information to the public and get comments to be included in the environmental assessment.

About 40 people dropped in during the open-house style meeting, said to NDOT spokesman Bob Mckenzie, but only about a dozen were present for the brief presentation.

The public may continue to submit comments to NDOT about the project until Aug. 12.

Discussion: 11 comments so far…

  1. By Purgatory
    7/30/09 at 12:28 p.m.
    Suggest removal

    I travel that road twice daily...it is perfectly adequate now, and since it is 'land-locked' by mountains and Lake Mead, it is perfectly adequate for the distant forseeable future...scrap the plans please...

  2. By jcanby159
    7/30/09 at 12:58 p.m.
    Suggest removal

    Wait a minute! Isn't Lake Las Vegas a dying entity? Why are spending money to provide a flyover for a project that has closed two of its three golf courses and has numerous foreclosed properties that are not close to being purchased by anyone?!? The existing access is adequate as it is. Please use the tax monies elsewhere where it can be better used.

  3. By llvlocal
    7/30/09 at 1:27 p.m.
    Suggest removal

    I was wondering why both sides were graded recently. Lake Mead parkway seems to be pretty adequate now. Even if they just widened it up to Calico Ridge would be fine for the next few years, but all the way to LLV is overkill.

    Unless it is one of those situation where spend the money now because we will not have it later. 2 years maybe 3 we might need the extra capacity. I just hope they don't put in more signal lights. We have enough of those too.

  4. By POWERPLAY
    7/31/09 at 4:01 a.m.
    Suggest removal

    Just another place to park orange cones for at least 3 more years and thats if they get it done on time.

  5. By 70aarcuda
    7/31/09 at 4:45 p.m.
    Suggest removal

    it will done really fast since the ndot workers have to take furlough every month and can not work any overtime during that pay period...no one will be on the job to watch the contractor's work....no inpectors...faster completion...

    change you can believe in...

  6. By RACE_CAR_DIVA
    8/1/09 at 10:12 p.m.
    Suggest removal

    WOW, this is one of the least traveled and most comfortable roads in the valley...there is absolutely no reason for this money to be spent in this location. What a waste.

  7. By kristikuca
    8/2/09 at 2:12 a.m.
    Suggest removal

    I have to echo the post above me.

    Who wants a 3 lane road? Not me, I live off that 2 lane road now, and I think it is more than adequate. This is a residential area. This road doesn't go out to shopping areas or to places to work. I was rather content when there were no traffic lights east of Boulder Highway...

  8. By vsestini
    8/2/09 at 6:11 a.m.
    Suggest removal

    Let's waste money on another future failed proejct...after all its only tax money we are wasting.

    Lake Las Vegas is dead in the water. It will never go anywhere or be anything more than it is now or has been in the past....a total wasted project.

    For God's sake spend the money on coordinating traffic signals along Sahara from east to west...

  9. By Bouvier
    8/2/09 at 12:52 p.m.
    Suggest removal

    While Lake Mead Parkway may not need additional lanes at this moment, it certainly needs a face lift. That area the Parkway is probably the ugliest I've seen. Part of this widening is also going to include a bike trail, benches, landscaping etc. Check out this link :http://www.hendersonparksandtrails.com/projectmaterials/lakemeadtrailfact.pdf

    Plus, if the city is provided the funds to do the project, better to have the structure in place for future capacity, as the $$ may no longer be available in the future. I like that that the City is planning ahead.

    Lake Las Vegas isn't dying entity. If you check some of the real estate websites, you will see that at least 1/2, if not more, of the foreclosed properties have been or are in the process of being sold. This along with the "Stayacation" traffic at Lake Las Vegas, (the village was sold out on the 4th of July weekend) shows that people are still coming and LLV is a viable community. With the foreclosured properties being bought up for residences or rentals, there will be even more activity in the near future.

  10. By Nevhiker
    8/5/09 at 9:41 a.m.
    Suggest removal

    This project stops before it reaches Lake Las Vegas. LLV and Three Kids Mine developers will have to come to the table in the future to get the road improvements extended to their repectives properties.
    Lake Mead Parkway is long long over due for a make over. And let's keep in mind things will turn around and get better...LandWell has a 2,200+ acre development in the works, this will impact Lake Mead traffic flows over time.
    Let the Fed's build it now and get it done with...

  11. By Bouvier
    8/6/09 at 8:32 a.m.
    Suggest removal

    PS: I confirmed from 2 sources yesterday that Montelago Village at Lake Las Vegas was completely sold out! This is during the weekday!What other hotel in this economy is at 100% occupancy? None! That really says something for the Lake Las Vegas community. People like it and are still coming to visit, stay and play!!

    NevHiker, nice post. I echo your opinion. Better to plan ahead than to complain 10 years from now on how we wish there were the extra lanes.

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