‘Failing Roadway’ Means Potholes

This week readers want to know about the construction on Rampart Boulevard near Summerlin Parkway, what's the best way to get from the College of Southern Nevada's West Charleston Boulevard campus to the Cheyenne Avenue campus and how long will it take to clean graffiti from a sign on Interstate 15?

A reader asks: What was that construction on Rampart near the Summerlin Parkway over the weekend?

The Las Vegas Public Works Department put in some lane restrictions on Rampart, between the Summerlin Parkway and Vegas Drive, to repair "failing roadway pavement sections."

I checked with spokeswoman Debby Ackerman, and she confirmed they're just filling in potholes.

Ackerman said crews need a couple of more days to finish the job. They will work between 6 a.m. and 5 p.m. this upcoming Saturday and Sunday to minimize weekday traffic delays.

Leslie Zuckerman asks: I travel between the College of Southern Nevada's West Charleston campus and the Cheyenne campus. I recently learned that my past route using I-15 to Cheyenne was closed. I would be most appreciative if you can help find an alternate way to the Cheyenne campus.

I was commiserating with Bob McKenzie, spokesman for the Nevada Department of Transportation, about the New York Giants' playoff loss when I asked him whether the northbound I-15 offramp to Cheyenne was as closed as their running lanes were Sunday.

He told me the offramp was still open.

For now, you don't need an alternate route. You still can take U.S. Highway 95 south to I-15 north and exit at Cheyenne.

But that won't last forever. Eventually, the northbound I-15 offramp to Cheyenne will be closed because of the $240 million I-15 north widening project.

I don't have a date yet, but it probably won't happen until after February, when northbound I-15 traffic moves over into the southbound lanes.

When that happens, there are a couple of different routes available for you.

The easiest to remember is to head north on Jones Boulevard and then east on Cheyenne. That will take you about 30 minutes, in perfect traveling conditions, to travel 11.4 miles, according to the Web site Google Maps.

Another route is to head south on U.S. 95 and exit at Eastern Avenue. Head north on Eastern, and it will turn into Civic Center Drive. Continue on Civic Center and turn east on Cheyenne. That route will take about 23 minutes to travel 12.3 miles.

Al Rogers writes: There is graffiti on a sign a half-mile before Exit 31, Silverado Ranch Boulevard, on northbound I-15. ... Any estimate on when it might be removed?

The graffiti war in Las Vegas seems never ending. Crews from the city, county and state are constantly having to clean and fix roadway signs as a result.

But it gets a little tricky for the crews that have to go on the valley's freeways.

McKenzie told me that graffiti removal on I-15 requires the closure of freeway lanes. That usually takes some time to coordinate.

On top of that, the work is usually done at night, which adds to already dangerous work conditions.

McKenzie assured the work would be done, but he didn't have an immediate timetable.

"We just ask people to be patient," he said.

Contact reporter Francis McCabe at fmccabe@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2904.