Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

100 land parcels still must be acquired for interstate-widening Project Neon, official says

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The headache that Las Vegas motorists will have to endure during construction of the Interstate 15 widening project will be painful but worth it, a state transportation official said Tuesday.

Transportation Director Rudy Malfabon told a legislative committee that the construction, which will take four to five years, will relieve traffic congestion and curb accidents on the 3.7-mile stretch that is the focus of Project Neon improvements. He says the government still must acquire 100 land parcels through negotiations or in the courts.

According to the Transportation Department, nearly 250,000 vehicles a day use the stretch of highway. Some of the major features of the project call for building a 1-mile high-occupancy vehicle bridge connecting I-15 to U.S. 95, creating a new interchange and reconstructing the Charleston/I-15 interchange.

When completed, the project will provide better access to downtown Las Vegas and to the north end of the Strip, according to the state officials.

The department decided to issue bonds for the design and building of the project because the state has a triple “A” rating, which means it can secure funding at lower interest rates than other government entities.

The state will oversee three phases of the job, and the city of Las Vegas will finance construction of the Martin Luther Bridge in phase 2.

There are three companies, or combined companies, selected to bid for the contract.

The state is issuing $100 million in bonds for acquiring the right of way.

Of the $492.2 million obligated for Nevada highway projects during fiscal year 2014, 71 percent was spent in Clark County; 10 percent in Washoe County and the rest in rural Nevada.

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