If this is Las Vegas, there must be road work
Las Vegas once again has become a cone zone, so there are plenty of questions about various projects around town. With most of the major work happening on and around Interstate 15, we decided we would clear up all of them in one day. For those of you with questions about other areas of town, be patient. I promise they will be addressed.
Bill has a couple of I-15 questions: When using the express lanes on Interstate 15, are you able to move in to the express lanes and out of them at any time, or are you required to stay in the express lanes at the entry point after Sahara and before Spring Mountain going south and stay in them until reaching Interstate 215?
At this point, Bill, the enforcement of the express lanes is pretty much up in the air. Of course, the plastic paddles made the entry and exit points more clear, but they were removed for the repaving of the freeway. They will go back up in a couple of weeks.
But Bill is correct: The goal is for these two lanes to be direct shots between Sahara Avenue and the 215. They are marked with double solid lanes that should not be crossed, although most motorists do it anyway.
They will be more effective when all the work is complete on the interstate, which will be the first quarter of next year. At that point, the plastic paddles will be in place from just south of Sahara to just south of Russell Road, and motorists will no longer be able to weave in and out of the lanes.
And secondly: Are there any plans to create an east exit at Blue Diamond Road from the 215? There is an east exit from I-15, but when you exit the 215 going south and want to exit on Blue Diamond going east, your only choice is to exit west and make a U-turn in from the Silverton or turn into the Target shopping center and make a left back out of it at the light.
We have mentioned this previously, but it might be worth it again because more people are noticing what they believe to be a design flaw. This is a permanent design. Motorists must travel west on Blue Diamond and make a U-turn at the Silverton hotel-casino to head east.
According to Las Vegas Paving, the movement of traffic heading from the 215 to eastbound Blue Diamond Road was minimal. Taking 215 to Windmill Lane or Las Vegas Boulevard are more direct routes, according to the company. Other alternatives exist, such as 215 to Decatur south to Blue Diamond or I-15 south to Silverado Ranch.
According to Las Vegas Paving, the ramp from the frontage road to Blue Diamond east could not be added safely because it wouldn't provide enough distances to decelerate and move into the proper lane.
Hey, don't kill the messenger.
Michael thinks the arrows are out of whack: On Blue Diamond Road approaching I-15 from the west, the two left turn lanes are marked with straight arrows on the pavement. You can't see the left turn signs until you get to the top of the hill. Why aren't the lanes marked with left turn arrows on the pavement?
The markings have been this way since 2006, and road crews working on the I-15 design-build south project did not make any changes. The reason the arrows are straight is to keep eastbound Blue Diamond from getting confused and turning left into oncoming traffic exiting I-15 south.
Traffic engineers say they see nothing wrong with the placement of the arrows because they appear about the same time when motorists should be positioning themselves to turn left.
Ed isn't a big fan of congestion: What work is being done on the southbound lanes along I-15 beginning at Primm? On Sept. 15, my family and I were stuck for approximately 1½ hours before we could reach the off ramp that goes to the Primm Valley Golf Course. We are planning another trip to California on Oct. 21 and wondered if we could expect the same delay. If that's the case, we'll just go around through Searchlight and Nipton.
No need to add to the number of cars sightseeing in Harry Reid's hometown, Ed.
That work is over. It wouldn't have been a bad idea to stop at the Primm golf course, however, because it's one of the best in the valley. Back to the point, that was a job done by the California Department of Transportation. This was a resurfacing project that was completed in late September.
I've checked with the California agency, and there are no other projects on the interstate, so your trip to California should be smooth sailing.
Contact reporter Adrienne Packer at apacker@
reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2904.
• Beginning tonight and for the next two weeks, expect delays just north of the airport connector tunnel as work is done on a new bridge that will connect to Terminal 3, which will open next summer. Construction hours are Monday through Thursday, 7 p.m. to 5 a.m.
• For the next two months, expect lane restrictions on Torrey Pines Drive between U.S. Highway 95 and Cheyenne Avenue as Torrey Pines is resurfaced.
• Through March, Elkhorn Road will be closed to through traffic between Torrey Pines Drive and Jones Boulevard for a storm drainage improvement project. Construction hours are from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays.
• For the next six weeks, lane restrictions will be in effect 24 hours a day on Rainbow Boulevard. It will be reduced to one lane between Gowan Road and Red Coach Avenue while crews repave the street. Alternate routes include Tenaya Way and Rancho Drive.
• For the next two weeks, expect delays on Ann Road between Durango Drive and Centennial Center Boulevard for resurfacing work.
• Through February, expect delays on Sandhill Road at Greenbriar Townhouse Way as a new sewer line is installed. Round-the-clock lane restrictions will be in effect on Sandhill and Greenbriar.
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