Project will give relief to commuters
This week the Road Warrior goes spanning Las Vegas and answers questions from almost every corner of the valley. Readers want to know if the Lamb Boulevard exit off the Las Vegas Beltway is open yet in North Las Vegas. Is there an extension planned in Henderson for Warm Springs Road, from Boulder Highway to Lake Mead Parkway? When will Clark County build a bridge on Decatur Boulevard to go over the railroad tracks in the southern valley? And why were taxicabs dropping off passengers at a pickup point at McCarran International Airport on Sunday?
Hoai-My Winder asks: Do you know if the Lamb exit off the Beltway is opened yet?
The North Lamb exit off the Beltway is open, said Robert Rixford, senior engineer for the North Las Vegas public works department. (And if you don’t believe Rixford, check out the photo above.)
Lamb goes down to Centennial Parkway, but not all the way through to Interstate 15 yet.
Rixford said construction on the $44.5 million project, which will see a bridge built over railroad tracks and connecting Lamb to I-15, isn’t expected to be finished until February.
That project will give much needed relief to commuters caught up in traffic because of the I-15 north widening project.
Lynne Robertson asks: Do you know if there are plans to extend Warm Springs from where it ends at Boulder Highway to where it begins again at Lake Mead Parkway in Henderson?
Sorry, Lynne.
There is an extension planned, but it is subject to development of a reclamation project in the area, said Ed McGuire, quality control manager for the Henderson Public Works Department.
And there is no time line on when that reclamation project is going to happen, McGuire said.
My impression is that it’s probably going to be a while before this gets off the ground.
And that means you’re going to have to take the long way.
Diane Michaelson asks: Do you have an idea when South Decatur will go completely through to the Beltway? I know the railroad tracks are in the way, but I thought they were going to build over the tracks.
The Clark County public works department just began a project to extend South Decatur Boulevard from the Beltway to Warm Springs, said spokesman Bobby Shelton.
The $41.7 million project will feature two tunnels under the area’s railroad tracks, including one under Decatur and one under Warm Springs, Shelton said.
“This is a rather extensive project and the project is currently scheduled to be finished by the end of March 2010. Obviously, the actual completion date will greatly depend on how construction efforts go during the next several months,” Shelton said.
Marilynn Lacy writes: I travel to the arrivals area of McCarran airport often. We came in Sunday and were waiting for our ride in the arrivals pick up area and noticed dozens of cabs. What’s up with taxis dropping off passengers in that area? Have the regulations changed at the airport? Is a road closed to taxis down in the regular departure area?
Chris Jones, spokesman for McCarran, said though it doesn’t happen often, cabs on occasion are allowed to drop passengers off in that area.
Jones said that happens when traffic at the usual drop-off point backs up.
“It is an overflow practice (done) at the airport’s discretion. If there is a lot of volume we don’t want to have people waiting” to check in, Jones said.
He added that the practice usually happens when there are a lot of people flying out of Las Vegas, usually Sundays and Mondays.
If you have a question, tip or tirade, call Francis McCabe at (702) 387-2904, or send an e-mail to roadwarrior@ reviewjournal.com. Please include your phone number.
The right lane on westbound Desert Inn Road will be closed between Swenson Street/Joe W. Brown Drive and Paradise Road, while utility relocation work is being done, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority announced. The closure includes the sidewalk on the north side of Desert Inn in that area and the Citizens Area Transit bus stop just west of Joe W. Brown on Desert Inn. There is an alternate bus stop east of Joe W. Brown on Desert Inn. The work is expected to last through February.• South Decatur Boulevard under the Las Vegas Beltway will be closed to all traffic from 9 p.m. Thursday to 5 a.m. Friday. The closure is necessary to accommodate construction crews working to widen this section of the Beltway’s bridge structures. Motorists who use the section of Decatur are advised to take an alternate route.
• The Nevada Department of Transportation announced the following updates to the Interstate 15 north widening project:
• Washington Avenue will be closed to traffic under I-15 from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. on Oct. 20 and Oct. 21 for girder placement. Westbound traffic on Washington will have access to I-15 northbound.
• D Street will be closed to through traffic under I-15 from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. Oct. 21 and Oct. 22 for girder placement. Motorists should use detours as posted.
• State Route 157 to Mount Charleston will be reduced to one lane from mile post 7 to mile post 0, while crews perform micro-seal work, from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. through Thursday, the Nevada Department of Transportation announced. Twenty minute delays should be expected.
• The North Las Vegas Public Works Department began an improvement project this week on Pecos Road, from Las Vegas Boulevard to Broadway Avenue. Pecos is reduced to one lane in each direction and motorists should watch for shifting lanes. The work is expected to take five weeks to complete.
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