$1.5M in pedestrian safety upgrades complete on Boulder Highway

One of the deadliest stretches of road for pedestrians in the state has received a safety boost.

This week $1.5 million in pedestrian-safety upgrades were completed along a 14-mile-stretch of Boulder Highway, the Nevada Department of Transportation announced Wednesday.

Since 2006 almost 9 percent of all pedestrian deaths in the state have occurred on Boulder Highway, according to Department of Public Safety data.

“People hear the word highway and unfortunately they treat it as such,” said Tony Illia, NDOT spokesman.

The six-month-long project improved trouble areas along the stretch of road that sees 36,000 vehicles and 10,000 Regional Transportation of Southern Nevada transit riders traveling on it daily.

— Overhead rapid flashing beacons were installed in both directions at Oakey Boulevard, with pedestrian crossing warning signs and lights added, along with a new crosswalk.

— Overhead rapid flashing beacons also were installed in both directions at seven other locations, with pedestrian crossing warning signs and lights, new Danish offset medians and new crosswalks added. Those locations are: Boulder Palms Senior Apartment Community, Whitney Avenue, Hamilton Avenue, Corn Street, Foster Avenue, Lowery Street, Veterans Affairs Southeast Clinic.

Built in 1931 as part of the Hoover Dam, Boulder Highway was the valley’s only freeway at the time, carrying State Route 5 and later serving U.S. Routes 93, 95, and 466 from near Boulder City through Henderson and into downtown Las Vegas.

Now roughly 20,000 homes, apartments and condominiums and more than 970 commercial lots are within a half-mile radius of Boulder Highway, changing the character, composition and use of the roadway.

“Southern Nevada’s boom growth has altered the make-up of Boulder Highway since its inception, adding densely-knit subdivisions, schools and businesses where previously there were none, creating greater street-level interaction,” Illia said. “As such, these retrofits help adapt the roadway for its current usage, adding more midblock crossings with overhead rapid flashing beacons, installing advance pedestrian crossing warning signs and new crosswalks, while making median enhancements.”

Contact Mick Akers at makers@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2920. Follow @mickakers on Twitter.