U.S. 95 ramps to open as part of MLK road project

By Kyle B. Hansen (contact)

Monday, Sept. 28, 2009 | 1:55 a.m.

Work on Martin Luther King Boulevard in Las Vegas will reach a major milestone this week when two new ramps for U.S. 95 open.

The exit ramp from southbound U.S. 95 to Martin Luther King and the on-ramp from the street to northbound U.S. 95 are scheduled to open about 3 p.m. Wednesday.

The street near the Spaghetti Bowl has been under construction since March 2008.

The city is widening 2 1/2 miles of the street from Alta Drive to Carey Avenue.

When work is complete, there will be three lanes in each direction and a new traffic signal at Discovery Drive.

The $45 million project also includes utility relocation; new curbs, gutters, sidewalks, storm drains, street lights and landscaping; and upgraded traffic signals at Bonanza Road, Washington Avenue, Vegas Drive, Lake Mead Boulevard and Carey Avenue.

The entire project is expected to be completed in the first part of next year.

“This is a milestone that has been long-awaited by residents,” councilman Ricki Barlow, who represents the area, said in a statement. “When the improvements are completed, we will have one of the most beautiful Martin L. King Boulevards in the country.”

Symphony Park work to affect downtown traffic

Work on infrastructure for Las Vegas’ new Symphony Park is expected to close lanes and restrict traffic in parts of downtown for the next five months.

The city will be installing and upgrading power infrastructure for the development beginning Monday. The $1.5 million project is expected to be completed in March.

Work will temporarily narrow Main Street to one lane in each direction from Boulder to Clark avenues. Some on-street parking will be removed.

Work will also impact traffic on First Street between Coolidge and Gass avenues, on Coolidge and Gass between Main and First streets, and on some of the other streets approaching Main and First in the area.

Construction is scheduled day and night to complete the project in five months. Symphony Park infrastructure bonds are funding the project.

Flood work to close lanes on Oakey

Part of westbound Oakey Boulevard in Las Vegas will be closed for 10 hours each weekday beginning today.

The road will be closed from 5 a.m. to 3 p.m. from Western Avenue to Rancho Drive while crews install flood control boxes.

One lane of westbound Oakey will be open after 3 p.m. each day and on weekends and one eastbound lane will stay open at all times.

As an alternative to Oakey, the city suggests motorists take Wall Street to Martin Luther King Boulevard to Charleston Boulevard or Western Avenue to Scotland Lane to Highland Drive to Sahara Avenue to Rancho Drive.

The city has not announced an end date for the closures.

Crews are installing 10-foot-by-8-foot reinforced concrete flood control boxes in Oakey as part of a $6.2 million flood control project funded by the Clark County Regional Flood Control District.

The entire project began in February and is expected to take 10 months to complete.

Sewer work to close lanes near Hilton

Sewer work is expected to close lanes of Karen Avenue near the Las Vegas Hilton for more than a month.

The Clark County Water Reclamation District is rehabilitating sewer pipelines and repairing manholes on the street between Paradise Road and Joe W. Brown Drive.

Work is scheduled to begin Tuesday and is expected to continue 24 hours a day until at least Nov. 6, the district said.

During the project, both eastbound lanes of Karen Avenue will be closed. Eastbound traffic will be rerouted to the north side of the road. One lane will be open for eastbound travel and two will remain for westbound traffic.

Metro increases patrols on Maryland Parkway

Metro Police will have increased patrols Monday on Maryland Parkway.

Five officers will be focused on the road between Tropicana Avenue and Desert Inn Road from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m.

The increased patrol is part of the department’s Selective Traffic Enforcement Program, which identifies areas that have frequent crashes.