Rollout begins for new license plates depicting Nevada’s diverse landscape
Yet another version of Nevada’s standard-issue license plates is being rolled out to motorists.
The new “Home Means Nevada” plates, bearing a multicolor, angular mountain range set against a light blue sky, were introduced by Gov. Brian Sandoval during the Nevada Day Parade held Oct. 29 in Carson City.
Now that we’re well into the new year, Pam from Reno wrote to the Road Warrior wanting to know when drivers might actually see these plates, which have a design meant to evoke the Ruby Mountains and Nevada’s diverse landscape, from the deserts of Red Rock Canyon to the green forest of Lake Tahoe.
Limited quantities started appearing Nov. 1, when drivers either registered their vehicles online or requested the new plates during a visit to the Department of Motor Vehicles office.
Since then, nearly 13,500 vehicle registrations have been paired with “Home Means Nevada” plates, DMV spokesman Kevin Malone said.
The DMV will start mass producing the plates this spring, with a phased released expected over several months,” Malone said, declining to provide a specific date.
Drivers who want to exchange their old Nevada plates for the newer style will be issued an entirely new license number. The new plates fit up to seven characters and have an improved reflective coating, DMV officials said.
In the meantime, the sunset-style plates that have served as the state standard since 2001 will be issued until supplies run out.
PARADISE MERGE
A few of you wanted to know why the two lanes on southbound Paradise Road merge into a single lane, just before the Airport Connector tunnel.
Las Vegas residents Lawrence, David and Mike all wrote to the Road Warrior, complaining that the current situation leads to massive traffic jams, especially during the evening commute.
Traffic is being merged into one lane as crews continue to work on a $52.5 million project that calls for building a flyover ramp and bridge connecting the southbound Airport Connector to the eastbound 215 Beltway, along with widening the off-ramp from the eastbound Beltway to Warm Springs Road, said Christine Crews, a spokeswoman for McCarran International Airport.
The project also calls for building a new bridge at the Warm Springs offramp and widening a bridge for traffic using the westbound Beltway over the Airport Connector.
It’s unknown whether the southbound lanes on Paradise will return to a two-lane configuration after construction wraps up by fall. Traffic flow in and out of the airport will be re-evaluated once the project is completed, Crews said.
ROUNDABOUT REPAIRS
Even though it’s supposed to be a traffic-calming tool, the new roundabout at Sahara Avenue and Hollywood Boulevard is getting pretty roughed up, according to Desmond from Las Vegas.
A few vehicles have smashed into the roundabout, traffic signs were knocked down and decorative rock barricades are “badly damaged.” Desmond said he wants to see police enforce the speed limit at this intersection because the damage is likely caused by motorists who continue to drive too fast.
Crews were recently dispatched to repair the damaged traffic signs, which are now adorned with reflective tape for better visibility, Clark County spokesman Dan Kulin said.
At the request of county Commissioner Chris Giunchigliani, flashing lights were also added to alert drivers that the roundabout is coming up.
“We will continue to monitor this area and pass along the concern about additional enforcement,” Kulin said.
BLOCKED SIGN
A tree is apparently blocking a stop sign from being visible to motorists headed east on Elkhorn at Fort Apache roads. Bob from Las Vegas said he recently witnessed an accident here, and wanted to know when the tree would be trimmed.
The intersection will be investigated, but the trees in this neighborhood are owned by a homeowners association, Las Vegas city spokeswoman Margaret Kurtz said. If city crews determine that the stop sign is blocked, then the HOA will be asked to trim the trees, Kurtz said.
However, there shouldn’t be any excuses for drivers to blow through the intersection. Supplemental stop signs are clearly mounted at the median, and stop bars are painted on the pavement, Kurtz said.
The intersection is scheduled to get a traffic signal within the next two years, Kurtz said. In the meantime, the city might install red flashing beacons to enforce the all-way stop.
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ROAD WORK AHEAD
■ Las Vegas Boulevard will be restricted just north of Caesars Palace Drive from 10 p.m. Monday to 9 a.m. Wednesday. Crews are repairing a concrete pad at the bus stop.
■ The Sky Pointe Drive ramp to 215 Beltway will be closed 9 p.m. Tuesday to 5 a.m. Wednesday. Crews are removing bridge falsework over the ramp.
■ Casino Center Boulevard onramp to northbound U.S. Highway 95 will be closed from 7 p.m. to 5 a.m. until Friday. Crews are building support columns for new traffic management signs.
■ Pinto Lane will be closed between Martin Luther King Boulevard and Desert Lane until Saturday. Crews are working on the widening of Interstate 15 and U.S. Highway 95 interchange.
■ Washington Avenue will be restricted between Rainbow and Decatur boulevards from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays through March. Crews are improving sidewalk ramps and surface drainage.
■ Fairfield Avenue will be restricted between Windmill Lane and Mesa Verde Lane from 6:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. through Wednesday. Crews are doing sewer work.
■ Nellis Drive and Bonanza Road will be restricted from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. weekdays through Feb. 17. Crews are doing sewer work.
■ Westbound Craig Road will be restricted between Las Vegas and Nellis boulevards from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. Sunday through Thursday until Feb. 28. Crews are doing sewer work.
■ Las Vegas Boulevard will be restricted between Cheyenne Avenue and Walnut Road from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. Sunday through Thursday until Feb. 17. Crews are doing sewer work.
■ Windmill Lane will be restricted between Bermuda Road and La Cienega Street from Thursday to Feb. 24. Crews are doing sewer work.
■ Southbound Durango Road will be restricted between Wigwam Avenue and Blue Diamond Road from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays through April 28. Crews are doing sewer work.
■ Warm Springs Road exit from the eastbound 215 Beltway will be closed through June. Crews are building a new bridge over the highway.
■ Frank Sinatra Drive near the Mandalay Bay parking garage will be closed during overnight hours until Feb. 22. Crews are working on hotel's pylon sign.
■ The Interstate 15 northbound and southbound ramps connecting to northbound U.S. Highway 95 will be closed until late February. Crews are building a new bridge as part of Project Neon.
■ The Interstate 15 northbound and southbound ramps connecting to Martin Luther King Boulevard will be closed until late February. Crews are building a new bridge as part of Project Neon.
■ The ramp leading from westbound Warm Springs Road to the westbound 215 Beltway will be closed from 7 p.m. to 5 a.m. Sundays through Fridays until mid-March. Crews are working on the new flyover ramp and bridge.
■ Traffic will be redirected and reduced to one lane in each direction of U.S. Highway 95 for about a mile in Boulder City through March. Crews are building a bridge over the highway for the future Interstate 11 corridor.
■ Valley Drive is being widened between Tropical Parkway and Cheyenne Avenue in North Las Vegas, with completion expected in March.
■ Northbound U.S. Highway 95 will be reduced to one lane between Craig Road and the Beltway from 8:30 p.m. to 5 a.m. weekdays through June. Crews are working on the Centennial Bowl ramps.
■ Southbound U.S. Highway 95 will be reduced to one lane between Durango Drive and Ann Road from 8:30 p.m. to 5 a.m. weekdays through June. Crews are working on the Centennial Bowl ramps.
■ Summerlin Parkway's westbound lanes will be restricted between Buffalo Drive and Rampart Boulevard through July. Crews are building a new auxiliary lane and making other improvements.
■ Sections of Bonneville Avenue, Charleston Boulevard, Grand Central Parkway and Martin Luther King Boulevard will have closed or disrupted lanes surrounding the Spaghetti Bowl as crews work on Project Neon through July 2018.
GASOLINE PRICES
The average gasoline price Friday in the Las Vegas Valley was $2.43 per gallon. It was $2.47 in Nevada. The national average of $2.27 is the same as a week ago, down 8 cents from a month ago and up 50 cents from a year ago.
