Traffic signals planned to relieve traffic near Wet ‘n’ Wild water park in Las Vegas
Traffic engineers are hoping the addition of two traffic signals near the Wet ‘n’ Wild water park this summer will make some of the waits on the streets shorter than the lines to get on the best attractions in the park.
Officials on Tuesday unveiled plans to add traffic lights at Fort Apache Road at Maule Avenue and Warm Springs Road to replace four-way stop signs.
Wet ‘n’ Wild is in the southwest valley at 7025 Fort Apache Road. The popular water park produced traffic and parking problems in the area when it first opened. New parking lots have helped solve the parking problem and the new traffic lights are expected to improve traffic flow.
The improvements, recommended by Nathan Miller, principal of Wilbur and Teresa Faiss Middle School, were driven by pedestrian safety for students crossing busy Fort Apache Road.
In the last two years, traffic in the area has escalated with the opening of Wet ‘n’ Wild and Faiss Park, which lies adjacent to the school and the water park. Southern Hills Medical Center is just three blocks to the north at Fort Apache and Sunset Road.
At Tuesday’s event, 10 of the school’s students assisted in the unveiling of a traffic signal representative of the future improvements, expected to cost $1.1 million.
The signal at Fort Apache and Maule is expected to be activated by mid-July, while the signal at Fort Apache and Warm Springs will be operational by mid-August.
“This a great time in our valley for transportation,” said Clark County Commissioner Susan Brager, who noted that the signal project is being paid for with fuel revenue indexing funds which tie the fuel tax to inflation.
Indexing adds about 3 cents to the cost of a gallon of gasoline and is expected to raise $700 million in additional tax revenue to be used to fund 185 projects and create 9,000 jobs.
Miller applauded the community support from the neighborhood in getting the traffic signal project approved.
The event also was attended by state Sen. Justin Jones, D-Las Vegas, Assemblyman James Healey, D-Las Vegas, and Tina Quigley, general manager of the Regional Transportation Commission.
Contact Richard N. Velotta at rvelotta@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3893. Find him on Twitter: @RickVelotta.
