A long wait for interchanges

This week, readers want to know if there are plans to build an interchange at Starr Avenue and Interstate 15 in the southern valley, and if the DMV doesn't ask you to pay a tax, do you still have to pay it? The Road Warrior has a special rant for the express lane project on I-15 on the California side of the border, and a reader knows of at least one optimistic motorist in these troubled economic times.

Angelo asks: Is there any truth to the rumor that an exit is scheduled to be built on I-15 and Starr Avenue? I understand that federal stimulus money was going to be used to complete this exit to encourage business further south of South Point up to the new M Resort.

Building an interchange at Starr Avenue is in future plans for I-15. So are interchanges at Cactus Avenue, Bermuda Road, as well as a bridge over the interstate at Pebble Road.

But don't expect the Starr interchange to be built anytime soon.

Rudy Malfabon, deputy director for the Nevada Department of Transportation, said it's not planned for construction until 2020.

"It's quite a ways out," Malfabon said.

As far as how the project will be paid for, it won't be with stimulus money from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. That money has already been obligated to a whole bunch of paving projects.

W.B. asks: I bought a used car in Utah. The dealership charged me Utah sales tax but informed me I would have to pay Nevada sales tax when I registered the vehicle here. The dealership then mailed me a check for the exact amount of Utah sales tax I had paid. This check was made out jointly to my name and Nevada DMV, the premise being the amount would be applied toward my Nevada sales tax. But when I went to register my car, no Nevada sales tax was collected. I explained the situation to the clerk and showed her my check. She declined to take it and charged me only standard registration fees. My vehicle is now legally registered. Did the clerk make the mistake, or did the dealership?

The clerk made the mistake, according to Nevada Department of Motor Vehicle spokesman Tom Jacobs.

"Yes, we should have collected the sales tax from the customer," he said.

Jacobs said the customer should come back with the check and speak with a supervisor at any of the offices and explain what happened. The sales tax will then be applied.

Road Warrior Rant: On a recent trip to Los Angeles, I decided to use the newly opened express lane on southbound Interstate 15 on the California side of the border. The one problem is there's nothing express about the lane. Along with a lot of other drivers, I was stuck behind a slow-moving minivan.

Since the express lane is only one lane, there's no going around. Meanwhile, vehicles to the right of us in the two regular southbound lanes traffic were passing by.

Some motorists were so incensed by the minivan's pace, they drove across the dirt median to get back into the regular lanes.

Hit 'n' Run: There's at least one optimist driving around the valley. Melissa M. saw this license plate on the back of a Mercedes Benz c230: U2 1DAY

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