The U.S. Senate last Wednesday approved $3 million to add to the kitty for the widening of Highway 160 between Rainbow Boulevard in Las Vegas and Mountain Springs Summit.

The money will be used along with $16 million set aside by the Nevada Legislature in the waning days of the last session that ended June 4. It will be earmarked for 46 miles of the highway, still two lanes, to the east of Mountain Springs Summit and a stretch from the Nye-Clark County line north to where it already widens to four lanes near Calvada Boulevard in Pahrump.

Nevada Department of Transportation spokesman Bob McKenzie indicated the funding has put the extension of work on Blue Diamond Road westd up to the front burner.

"What we're doing now is reevaluating that whole (Highway) 160 situation," McKenzie said.

NDOT is currently designing the widening of Highway 160 from Durango Avenue to Highway 159, the turnoff to Red Rock Canyon in Las Vegas Valley, he said.

"We're also looking at the future project, which will probably be between 2009 and 2010, to bring it from (Highway) 159 all the way up to Mountain Springs and over the hump. There is a lot of designing and environmental work that has to be done with that," McKenzie said.

The combined $19 million would cover a portion of the widening cost, but McKenzie said the total widening cost of expanding the road to a four-lane divided highway could be considerably more than that.

Environmental concerns and geologic conditions, the steep walls along the highway around the pass, as well as bighorn sheep and ancient petroglyphs are among the problems.

Sen. Harry Reid, D.-Nev., said the bill was passed as part of a Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Bill which provides $20 million for Nevada airports and roads as well as affordable housing.

"The funding in this bill will help our state meet the challenges that come along with the tremendous growth we continue to see," Reid said in a prepared statement. "In addition to improving our roads, this bill will make Nevada's airports safer, increase access to affordable housing, invest in our state's workforce and create jobs."

McKenzie said the Mountains Edge project, being built by Focus Property Group off Buffalo Drive and Highway 160 in Las Vegas, was an impetus toward some of the widening work. The widening of Highway 160 from Decatur Avenue to Rainbow Boulevard will start this fall, work that will allow a grade separation from the Union-Pacific railroad tracks that often ties up traffic, he said.

"Over the past several years Pahrump has become especially important. State Route 160 has become something that we've looked at very very hard and we've made quite a bit of improvements and we intend to make more improvements until we can get you that four-lane divided (highway) all the way to Pahrump," McKenzie said. "We want the people of Pahrump to realize we're doing everything we can to get that four lane divided all the way."