End sought to cone zones around valley

We are all familiar with construction zones across our valley roads, but what many readers want to know this week is when we’re going to see the results. When will our commutes become a little bit easier?

Marsha asks: The intersection of Sunset Road and Rainbow Boulevard is becoming very busy. Is there any plan to completely widen Sunset between Jones and Rainbow boulevards?

Projects and subsequent road improvements along this stretch are planned by Clark County and private developers. Sunset between Rainbow and Jones is adjacent to several privately owned, undeveloped parcels. The developers are responsible for improving the streets adjacent to their property when they decide to build on their land.

Recently Clark County issued a permit to private developers for improvements along Sunset between Rainbow and Torrey Pines Drive.

The county is 90 percent finished with the design to widen Sunset to six lanes from Decatur Boulevard east to Las Vegas Boulevard. It also expects Sunset between the Las Vegas Beltway to Cimarron Road to be widened to six lanes by spring. This project is in conjunction with Durango Drive improvements from the beltway to Hacienda Avenue.

Jack’s question relates to the ruts on Eastern Avenue: Seven or eight years ago, a company scraped the surface of Eastern Avenue between Pebble Road and Wigwam Parkway. Our wonderful streets department has let this go without correction. So we have to wait until someone is killed?

Eastern Avenue between Desert Inn Road and Sahara Avenue and between Chandler Street and the Las Vegas Beltway is slated to be repaved using funding from the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The total cost of the project is in the neighborhood of $2 million, according to the Clark County Public Works Web site.

This project is scheduled to begin in the spring of 2010 and should take about 60 days to complete.

Jeff from Silverado Ranch is frustrated with motorists who apparently don’t know how to use Interstate 15’s express lanes: I use the new express lanes every day and it never fails that about a half dozen cars cross over the double-white lines to get in our out of these lanes. Is this even enforced?

The answer to this, Jeff, is simple: No. The Nevada Highway Patrol will treat these lanes as they treat any other lane until they become “official” express lanes.

Official, meaning the signs are up and the plastic candlestick barriers separate the express lanes from the regular lanes.

After that, anyone who enters or exits those lanes will be fined $190, the minimum fine for a traffic violation.

Although the Nevada Department of Transportation won’t set a firm date for the opening, they are scheduled to open early next year.

Norm is quite observant while cycling: While riding my bike Sunday, I noticed that one of the new signs on the 215 heading north from Charleston Boulevard toward Far Hills Avenue states “Lake Mead Parkway xxx miles.” That’s completely wrong — it should be Lake Mead Boulevard. Lake Mead Parkway is in Henderson.

Good catch Norm. The Clark County Public Works division is aware of the error with that sign. It has ordered a new sign, which will go up soon.

Contact reporter Adrienne Packer at apacker@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2904.