Candlesticks on I-15 express lanes to return

Most drivers who have contacted me about Interstate 15 say they love the idea of express lanes that are supposed to guide vehicles quickly from Sahara Avenue to about Russell Road without any merging in and out of the lanes. The problem is, nobody pays attention and bobs in and out of them anyway. They really aren’t enforced. The candlesticks that once marked the express lanes disappeared last month. The answer to Jerry’s question explains why.

Can you find out if there is going to be a new plan for the candlesticks that divide the express lanes from other traffic. The candlesticks were a terrible idea in my opinion. The sheer number that were hit by vehicles should convince the Department of Transportation that something else should be used. Is the plan to have just the current buttons long term or will the candlesticks be put up again?

Right now the Nevada Department of Transportation plans to reinstall the candlesticks delineating the express lanes on Interstate 15 from the regular travel lanes. The reason the agency decided to take them down is because they were dirty and worn down – a nice way of saying they’re being trampled. The department is in the middle of issuing a contract for a new company to install the plastic paddles. Plenty of motorists believe they are a waste, but the new contract will include a maintenance component so maybe that will help keep them upright. It doesn’t appear the buttons would be effective here. In California, drivers seem to be more respective of the lanes and do not cross the solid lines. Maybe law enforcement is tougher on drivers to our west.

Mark is curious about the signs: Who put up the signs in road construction zones that say "Please slow down, my dad and mom work here"?

That was the idea of the Department of Transportation, which had seen the messages scrawled in children’s writing in other states and thought it might be an effective way to grab drivers’ attention and humanize the problem of motorists speeding through work zones. For those of you who haven’t seen them, they were cute, but you missed your chance. Michelle Booth, spokeswoman for the department, said they were put up for Work Zone Awareness Week. It turns out they didn’t meet the motor traffic uniform control device standards so the agency had to take them down. The Nevada Highway Patrol started a program several months ago to crack down on drivers who speed by construction workers, so, sign or not, be careful.

Several readers have asked me this week about when these huge and inconvenient road projects will wrap up, so here’s a quick rundown:

Probably the one that has pestered most motorists is the $250 million Interstate 15 south design-build project, which we know included the frontage roads and a huge flyover at Blue Diamond Road. The frontage roads allow motorists to do all their merging off the freeway, freeing up the interstate for motorists heading all the way across town. After nearly two years – not bad for a project of that magnitude – that work will finally be completed in August.

The opening of the Warm Springs Road bridge across Interstate 15 was huge for residents in the south end of the valley, though it is only one lane in each direction. The entire structure, which includes widening the road to six lanes between Las Vegas Boulevard to Dean Martin Road, is scheduled to be finished by the end of August. There is an upside to the delays – that road was scheduled to be widened until 2020.

And finally, here’s the latest on the U.S. Highway 95 widening project and accompanying high-occupancy vehicle lane flyover to Summerlin Parkway. The bridge should be open by the end of July. The Department of Transportation has had some hiccups with other segments of the project, thanks in some part to copper thieves. Copper wiring has been stolen along Ann Road over and over so crews have had to redo much of the work in widening that road. The best estimate for the U.S. 95 work to be completed is early fall.

Jim needs a clarification on emergency vehicles: If you are driving on a two-way street with multiple lanes in each direction and a median and there is an emergency vehicle with lights and sirens approaching from the opposite direction, are you supposed to pull over? What if the lanes are divided but by yellow lines and a turn lane down the middle of the street?

If there is a hard median separating the lanes, motorists traveling in the opposite direction of the emergency vehicle are not required to pull to the side of the road. If there is just a painted median, then vehicles traveling in both directions must pull over. If an emergency vehicle is approaching a red light where traffic is backed up in all lanes, the ambulance, firetruck or police car is supposed to turn off its lights and sirens until the signal turns green. That is done to prevent drivers from panicking and creating another emergency.

Ben asks: There are temporary signs up prohibiting street parking on the 1800 to 2000 blocks of Granite Avenue in the city of Las Vegas. There has been some other underground work in the area recently, but this is the first I’ve seen them clear those blocks of parking. Not sure what’s going on.

The city of Las Vegas is in the process of sealing cracks on streets downtown and nearby neighborhoods. The city typically does the maintenance work every seven years to extend the life of the roads. The slurry seal application takes about a day, and businesses affected by the parking restrictions are given ample notice of the road work.

If you have a question, tip or tirade, call Adrienne Packer at 702-387-2904, or send an email to roadwarrior@reviewjournal. com. Include your phone number.