Beltway-to-Blue Diamond configuration a mystery

Hoo boy. The Nevada Department of Transportation embarked on its $240 million Interstate 15 project more than a year ago, and we are beginning to see the fruits of its labor, so to speak. The problem is, motorists think some of that fruit is rotten. We'll jump-start today with Marty and, trust me, there are plenty of others who have voiced the same concern.

In the last two weeks the eastbound Interstate 215 exit to Interstate 15 south has been reconfigured so that there is no exit for Blue Diamond eastbound. The traffic from I-215 to I-15 south can only go west on Blue Diamond or enter onto I-15 south after going under the Blue Diamond overpass. To go east on Blue Diamond you now have to take the west exit, travel down to Dean Martin and then make a U-turn, or go to Silverado Ranch Boulevard and come back to Blue Diamond. Please tell me this isn't the final configuration of that intersection!

Unfortunately, and surprisingly, this is the final configuration, Marty. I was unaware of this until you pointed it out. Motorists traveling from Interstate 215 (also known as the Las Vegas Beltway) to Interstate 15 are now placed on one of those collector-distributor frontage roads and ferried down past the Blue Diamond overpass and onto the interstate or onto westbound Blue Diamond. There is no ramp for eastbound Blue Diamond traffic.

Why this is remains a mystery. I did my best to find out but could not immediately track down a member of the design team.

Nevada Department of Transportation construction engineer Luke Rollins did not know the answer either but pointed out that before a final design is approved, there are lengthy studies on traffic patterns, volumes and traffic flow. There were public outreach meetings, but there is a good chance that the final design sans the eastbound Blue Diamond exit was decided upon after those hearings.

Motorists either have to get off at Las Vegas Boulevard and travel south to Blue Diamond, exit at Silverado Ranch and travel north on the boulevard to Blue Diamond or do as Marty does and make that U-turn. I will keep you posted as I learn more about the reasoning behind this.

Ben is losing patience: The intersection of Losee and Craig roads has been under construction for months. With no observable road widening taking place, it looks like they are incredibly slow. This is bound to be hurting the businesses in that area, like The Cannery Casino, Lowe's, Sam's Club and many more small and chain store operations. Any ideas if this seemingly permanent construction project has an end date?

Hold tight, Ben, the end is near ... sort of. Crews have been installing a new sewer line along this stretch and that, of course, has required digging trenches. The city of North Las Vegas has worked closely with the businesses in that district to ensure that access to those stores doesn't become a problem. They also tried to control traffic to keep the congestion down, which could also harm the business community.

The sewer project is expected to be completed by the end of September. Then there will be more work, although less problematic. Crews will start repaving Losee in early October, and the road is expected to be fully opened to traffic by December. They will return in March or April when the weather warms up and finish the paving portion.

Pete is also frustrated by delays: The Regional Transportation Commission bus turnout on the east side of Lamb Boulevard at Bonanza Road was started months ago. The other side was started later and is finished. The east side has not had any work done on it in three weeks. What gives?

When the city of Las Vegas dug into the roadway to create the turnouts, crews bumped into some unforeseen utility problems. This seems to happen often in older parts of town that were developed before the exact location of utilities was logged electronically. The city and contractor literally had to go back to the drawing board and redesign the turnout. In the meantime, the city decided to make improvements to the traffic signal system so that it has a secondary system to act as a backup. The unknown is when the design for the turnout -- and ultimately the project -- will be completed.

Lou's looking out for his wife: My wife travels to work on Tropicana Avenue from Summerlin. There is a left-turn lane onto Valley View Boulevard just under the overpass between Wynn Road and Valley View. Rush hour traffic on Tropicana backs up to the point where if you are not one of the first five or six cars in line you miss the left-turn arrow onto Valley View. Has there been any discussion of extending the left-turn lane further back on Tropicana so as to allow more vehicles access to that left-turn lane?

The engineering folks at Clark County recognize this problem and plan to add a left-turn lane when they extend Valley View over the railroad tracks. The county is designing the new Valley View, which will become the valley's first major north-south thoroughfare to the west of Interstate 15 that runs close to the interstate . The road, expected to be completed in late 2013, will run continuously between Blue Diamond and Washington Avenue.

In the meantime, Lou, county officials will take a look at that problem area and see whether it is feasible to add a left-turn lane as a short-term solution.

Tom had this related question: A signage problem exists on northbound Valley View at Tropicana. I've been trapped in that dead-end created by the railroad tracks and the lack of a sign for northbound traffic. How about a "no outlet" or "street ends" sign or something?

According to the county, there once was a sign on Valley View just north of Tropicana warning motorists that the road did not go through Harmon. It advised drivers to use Wynn Road one block to the west. County traffic engineers plan to go out to the site to see whether their sign needs to be replaced.

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