Urgency to spend stimulus funds brings eastern valley tie-ups

It seems a zillion residents are more than slightly upset about Clark County's recent road work in the eastern portion of the valley. Larry called the county officials who made the decision to start work on two major east-west corridors at the same time "brain dead." Pamela kicks off this column by succinctly describing the issue:

I would love to know whose idea it was to do construction on Eastern Avenue from Desert Inn Road to Sahara Avenue and Pecos-McLeod from D.I. to Flamingo Road at the same time! They are alternate routes for each other! I live between the two and am essentially trapped. And although it looks like the construction is in different places, traffic backs up way before the actual site. Can you get an explanation for this?

OK, Pamela, you are going to love this statement from Clark County: "Project coordination is done to the greatest extent possible to minimize disruptions to the public." I'm not kidding, that is straight from the public information office.

Both projects are funded by federal stimulus projects and there are "significant constraints to get these projects done due to the limited amount of time we have to spend the funds," according to county spokeswoman Jennifer Knight. In addition, the paving must be done before temperatures begin to drop. The county understands the frustration but believes residents in the area will be pleased in the end. If this helps, Knight said the work should be finished by the end of October.

Brian has a couple of camera-related concerns: First, what's happened to the traffic cameras on Interstate 15 between the Las Vegas Beltway and Sahara Avenue?

Brian is referring to the Regional Transportation Commission (RTC) cameras that allow commuters to log into its website and view traffic conditions before they head out. The construction at the south end of town -- the I-15 design-build project -- has disrupted fiber optic cables along the stretch. Tracy Bower, spokeswoman for the transit agency, said the cameras aren't always inoperable, but they have been down on occasion. They should be back up on a consistent basis in about four weeks.

And secondly: Will the RTC ever install traffic cameras along the Las Vegas Beltway in Henderson?

By next summer, cameras will be up and running on the Beltway between the "Henderson Spaghetti Bowl" and Windmill Lane, Bower said. The Windmill to I-15 segment is part of the new airport connector interchange that is in the design phase.

Speaking of new cameras, the stretch along I-15 between the Spaghetti Bowl and Craig Road will be turned on next week. Along with the cameras, dynamic message signs will inform motorists of driving times.

Dan is perplexed: I admit I don't frequent the downtown area often but noticed the tall sculpture on Charleston Boulevard and Main Street the other day. I give up, what's that for?

If you don't get to the downtown area often, you should, Dan. You might be surprised; cool things are happening. The sculpture, a paintbrush, marks one of the more popular developments in the last few years -- the Arts District. There are a couple of the paintbrush sculptures, the one you mentioned and another at Las Vegas Boulevard.

They are 45-feet tall and were designed by Dennis Oppenheim, a renowned artist whose art appears in galleries and museums around the world.

If you want a taste of the District, check out First Friday. I'll help you out, the next one is Sept. 3.

Jeff wanted to share this bit of good news: Cheyenne has finally been worked on and is complete. It is really beautiful. Newly resurfaced from I-15 all the way to the Highway 95. Smooth and no protruding manholes or plugs. The traffic flow is great. Perhaps you can mention in your column to let the east-west driving public know.

There you go.

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