| CURRENT WEATHER: Clear, 40° |
|
|
|
||
|
||||
|
May 13, 2005
Road map$18 MILLION PLANNED IN ROADWORK PROJECTS FOR NYE COUNTY
By PHILLIP GOMEZ Deputy directors for Southern Nevada Susan Martinovich and Rudy Malfabon presented upcoming NDOT projects in Nye County, expenditures totaling $18 million this fiscal year and next. The Transportation System Projects plan encompasses projects planned for FY 2006 through 2015 throughout the state. For long-range projects planned in Nye County the cost is estimated at $5.7 million. NDOT's new strategic plan focuses on safety and asset management, Martinovich said. Nevada was recently ranked as No. 1 in the country for highway smoothness, she said, and at No. 2 for its bridges. With funding from the National Highway Administration, NDOT has more than $1 billion in projects currently under design or actual construction in the state, she said. However, the new projects still need the approval of the Nevada Legislature. Guardrails and safety improvements are the priority throughout the Southern Nevada district, Martinovich said. Asphalt-surfaced roadways are being chip-sealed to extend the life of the roads. At the intersection of highways 372 and 160, the stoplight has priority for federal funding to modify it with turn signals. Construction of another signal light at Highway 160 and Homestead Road also has funding priority. When asked, Martinovich told the commissioners that Nye County owned the signal light at the intersection of highways 160 and 372. Tonopah's request for downtown sidewalks at a cost of $631,000 presented NDOT with "some challenges," said Martinovich. "Chances for getting approval for funding are slim," she said. Highway 160 near Johnnie is scheduled for widening and chip sealing to its junction with Highway 95. Commissioner Patricia Cox asked about widening roads over the Spring Mountains, to lessen commute time to Las Vegas for Pahrump residents. "We recognize that State Route 160 is under pressure," Martinovich said, but added that most of the commuter traffic takes place within Clark County's jurisdiction and therefore falls under that county's setting of priorities. |
