On Eastern, An End In Sight
This week readers want to know when the work on Eastern Avenue, from Viking Road to Rochelle Avenue, will be finished, what is going on at Decatur Boulevard at Pebble Road and whether there will be lighting on the Las Vegas Beltway from Flamingo Road to Cheyenne Avenue. And the Road Warrior answers a bonus fourth because that's how the Road Warrior rolls.
Carol asks: Can someone tell me why Eastern, between Viking and Rochelle, is still under construction? I don't understand why the area north of Flamingo Road is coned off when the work that is being done is on the south side of Flamingo through to Rochelle. I use the term "work being done" loosely since I've not seen any work being done there for quite some time and I've heard that the general contractor left the job. Is this true? When will this work be completed?
Carol, you are not alone in your complaints about this area.
The work is part of the Clark County Water Reclamation District's sewer pipeline rehabilitation project, which means a lot of the work is being done underground and why you probably don't see it being done.
As far as why it's taken so long, apparently there was a falling out between the general contractor and the subcontractor charged with doing the excavation work, district spokesman Marty Flynn said.
The work was originally supposed to be done by mid- to late May. Because of the problems between the contractors, the work was delayed about two months, Flynn said.
The good news is that the underground work is finished and that paving of the road should be done and the cones removed by Monday, Flynn said.
Jackie Johnson writes: This weekend the southbound traffic on Decatur at Pebble was redirected to one lane approaching Pebble. Then the lane resumed to two lanes just past Pebble. Why was this done? I have almost been run off the road twice.
I checked with officials at the Clark County Public Works Department, and they told me it's not them.
But spokesman Bobby Shelton says that there's been some recent development work in the area and that the county required the developer to do some widening of the roadway and make some drainage and street light improvements, among other things.
"The contractor was recently told to replace the area's missing raised pavement markers for this section of Decatur," Shelton said
The work should be done or near completion, he added.
John Pollet asks: It appears there will be no lighting in the center of the Las Vegas Beltway from near Flamingo to Cheyenne. Why will this section of the beltway not have lighting in the center median?
John, it looks like you are right on. The county, which oversees the Beltway, has no plans to put high-mast lighting down the center of that roadway, Shelton said.
"The decision to not install such lighting was made several years ago when the initial Beltway facilities were constructed for the western segment" of the roadway, he said. "This decision was also made following the results of many public meetings prior to the final design and construction of this section."
John Jacobs asks: Are the Las Vegas trollies that roam around downtown going to shut down? I'm a disabled veteran and they help me get around.
The trollies are part of the City Ride program, said Debby Ackerman, spokeswoman for the Las Vegas Public Works Department.
Right now the trollies are not going anywhere, Ackerman said, but "we are looking at the long-term viability of the program."
The city is reviewing all of their programs, including City Ride, she said.
Because of budget cutbacks, the City Ride program might see reductions in routes and service, Ackerman said.
The other problem is that the City Ride service operates out of the Downtown Transportation Center, which the Regional Transportation Commission plans to rebuild and make into a transportation hub for their ACE bus program.
City Ride would lose its home because of that, Ackerman said.
The future of the City Ride program most likely will be determined in the fall, Ackerman said.
For now it's still in operation.
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.
Motorists should watch for the following closures and lane restrictions with the Interstate 15 north widening project:
• The Cheyenne Avenue onramp to I-15 southbound will be closed starting Aug. 10 through the end of November for ramp work.
• Bonanza Road near the Hancock Petroleum area will have lane restrictions in each direction from 5 a.m. Aug. 4 through Aug. 8 and will be closed in each direction from 9 p.m. Aug. 8 to Aug. 15.
Motorists should use posted detours or use alternate routes.
Mark Street and Galleria Drive in Henderson are reduced to one lane in each direction with the center turn lane remaining because of the continued construction of the $63.3 million Galleria Mall interchange with U.S. Highway 95, the Nevada Department of Transportation says. Motorists should expect lane closures on U.S. 95, between Auto Show Drive and Russell Road, in each direction because of the work. Motorists should watch for traffic controls and lane shifts. The work is expected to be finished in the summer of 2009.
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