| ||||||||||||||||||||||
 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
-News Articles/Editorials/Letters to the Editor-
10/3/2001
|
A $1.6 billion construction program includes $123 million for the
Carson bypass and $125 million to begin construction of I-580
between the Mount Rose Junction and Washoe Valley. The program was approved by the state transportation board Monday approved the program for the next two years. Now that overpasses and other structures are nearing completion on the northern half of the Carson bypass, the top priority on the Carson City list is $115 million to connect the structures from Arrowhead Drive to Highway 50. That contract is now scheduled for advertisement in May. Also in 2002, the plan includes two contracts totaling $8 million to plan, design and begin building overpasses and other structures for the southern half of the bypass project. Another $20 million is in the work program for that work in 2004, according to NDOT officials. But the estimated $135 million contract to finish the bypass between Highway 50 and the Spooner Summit junction still doesn't have a firm start date or a designated revenue source. Work begins in 2002 on extending the freeway from Mount Rose Junction to the north end of Washoe Valley. A $24.6 million contract will start the process of creating a six lane freeway through that stretch. In 2004, a $100 million contract will fund a large portion of the actual construction. And there is another $150 million in the long range plan to complete the work beginning in 2005. The work program contains $224 million to widen Highway 95 in northwest Las Vegas and another $41 million to complete the widening of I-15 between Las Vegas and Primm to the south. It will cost $50 million for the interchange between I-515 and I-15 in Las Vegas and another $62 million to widen State Route 160 from I-15 to Rainbow Boulevard. One of the potentially biggest single projects in state road building history is just beginning development. That is the planned bridge across the Colorado River about a mile south of Hoover Dam. Both Nevada and Arizona have now agreed to $20 million commitments toward the bridge which will eventually cost more than $200 million -- mostly federally funded. State transportation director Tom Stevens said the bridge is needed to get increasing truck traffic off Hoover Dam. This became even more important after September's terrorist attacks. Federal officials have kept the dam closed to most truck traffic and many times have limited auto traffic across the bridge as well for security reasons. The limitations force drivers to make a 23-mile detour through Laughlin. Stephens said the building program is the largest in state history. In addition to the construction, it includes nearly $100 million in maintenance projects such as repaving interstate highways and urban streets under state jurisdiction. |
