For express lane drivers, the candlesticks are lit

The candlesticks have finally been plunked down on Interstate 15, allowing us to formally celebrate the birth of the much-anticipated express lanes.

The express lanes -- two in each direction -- have created a fast-moving fiesta for all of us Speedy Gonzaleses who don't want to be bothered with lost tourists, merging big rigs or vehicles entering and exiting the freeway.

What these candlesticks also mean is you can now fully expect to be lit up by red-and-blue flashers attached to a black-and-white cruiser if you choose to either squish a marker in an attempt to change lanes or even veer across the double-white lines separating general traffic from those gleefully zipping along.

Most motorists will greet this news by snapping on their party hats and pulling out their blow-outs. (That is truly what those noisemakers are called, I looked it up.)

Anyway, people will be happy that law enforcement finally will be on the look out for drivers who flat-out ignore the purpose of express lanes and the striping that defines them.

So, get the party started.

The Nevada Highway Patrol and Las Vegas police, who also are enforcing I-15 so the above black-and-white reference is applicable, should crack down on violators.

When drivers dive in and out of express lanes, it defeats the purpose, which is to guide motorists between Sahara Avenue and the Las Vegas Beltway without dealing with motorists diving in and out of express lanes.

It's also dangerous.

Drivers have been weaving between candlesticks -- that's what transportation officials call the plastic barriers -- into the express lanes. As many of you have probably noticed, some of the plastic paddles already have been knocked down. In order to do that, the intruder either has to slow down in steadily moving traffic or jump into the express lanes at full speed, which gives unsuspecting law-abiding drivers zero time to react.

"It could cause a really bad accident," said Bob McKenzie, spokesman for the Nevada Department of Transportation, the express lane party planners. "It doesn't take a brain surgeon to figure this out."

Striping for the express lanes has been up for months, but drivers ignored the stripes and highway patrol troopers ignored the drivers.

Early last week, the candlesticks went up holding you prisoner to the express lanes northbound from the Harmon Avenue overpass to the Desert Inn Road overpass and southbound from Flamingo Road to Tropicana Avenue.

Several motorists have questioned why the barriers start so far south of Sahara. I too expected to see them almost all the way up to Sahara.

McKenzie said this is to allow northbound motorists time to scoot over and exit on Sahara. This might be a bit disappointing to drivers hoping to be protected by candlesticks during the entire journey past the Strip. But it's also understandable given the accident prone nature of that stretch of freeway near Sahara.

We've been over this before, but it's important to repeat so that we can understand why the candlesticks stop when they do.

As you approach Sahara on I-15 north -- where there is at least one accident a day -- the Spring Mountain Road onramp lanes share the same space as the Sahara Avenue exit lanes. Making matters worse, motorists have had a difficult time adjusting to the two-lane "must exit" offramps to Sahara, and try to merge back onto the freeway at the last second. Combine that with a steep grade that makes it impossible to gauge the Spaghetti Bowl backup until you are on top of it, and add the frantic Sahara Avenue-bound drivers who have just been released from the express lanes. The result? Let's just say plenty of motorists have probably called Ed, the lawyer, for both of you without access to TV commercials.

On the southern section of I-15, between Tropicana Avenue and Blue Diamond Road, the transportation agency is going to hold off on the candlesticks until Las Vegas Paving is finished widening the freeway, building bridges and adding frontage roads south on the interstate. That project won't be finished until late next year.

The express lanes are a huge benefit to I-15 commuters who don't exit the freeway between Sahara and Russell. But there is a significant concern: What happens if your car conks out when you are in the express lanes?

Unless you drive one of those itty-bitty European vehicles, there isn't enough room to pull clear of traffic between travel lanes and the concrete median barrier. It's not a safe set-up, and you can bet traffic will be backed up to Primm in a matter of seconds.

An accident in those lanes is an entirely different story. It's not like those involved in a crash can pull into the shoulder to sort out insurance information or call a tow truck.

McKenzie said transportation folks aren't too worried. Traffic cameras monitor the freeway flow and the highway patrol will be informed immediately of any stalled vehicle or accident.

"That's the difficulty of any accident whether it's the express lane or not," McKenzie said. "The highway patrol and first responders do the best they can to get that accident clear."

First impression? The advantages of the new lanes seem to far outweigh the disadvantages -- as long as motorists don't commit any major party fouls.

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