Road deal near Strip approved

Clark County and Bellagio officials reached a final land acquisition agreement today, paving the way for a new east-west arterial across the Strip and a frontage road along Interstate 15.

Mirage Resorts Inc. chairman Steve Wynn emphasized to County Commissioners during a special Monday meeting that Clark County is clearly receiving the best deal, considering an acre of property along Las Vegas Boulevard is worth $11 million.

"We're basically giving the county $110 million and the county is giving us $8 million," Wynn said. "The net result is a new east-west connection complete with an access road parallel to the Strip.

"I think it will cause us to have a great deal of relief on the west side of the street."

Bellagio already has built a stretch of the new frontage road, Frank Sinatra Drive. The county will eventually build the street from Russell Road to Spring Mountain Road using tunnels to duck under Flamingo and Tropicana.

Wynn said Bellagio has already poured $2 million into the road he admitted is badly needed to accommodate the thousands of Strip employees. When the Bellagio opens in October, it will employ 9,500 people. New York, New York and Monte Carlo have more than 6,000 employees.

"These people hit roads and service streets in huge pulses at shift change," Wynn said. "We wondered what we could do to really make a difference. It was clear we needed a parallel road for employees."

Clark County also plans to extend Harmon Avenue from Las Vegas Boulevard south to Interstate 15. In order to reach the highway, the county had to use a portion of Wynn's property.

Wynn repeated several times the value of each acre and said he would not allow the county to "destroy" the property by splitting an acre in half. Instead, the county and Mirage Resorts officials agreed to add a short jog to Harmon Avenue.

The road will disappear into a tunnel under Las Vegas Boulevard for through motorists traveling east or west. Special lanes will be provided to those wishing to enter the Strip. The tunnel beneath Las Vegas Boulevard makes a half-block jog to the north.

The street will eventually span Interstate 15 and connect with Polaris.

"This is a semi-superarterial project to ensure people moving east and west have a way to get through," Clark County Public Works Director Marty Manning said. "It will result in a more open, more efficient Las Vegas Boulevard.'

Wynn said the work on Frank Sinatra Drive could be completed in 12 to 18 months. The Nevada Department of Transportation must approve the final design of the Harmon Avenue and the underpasses below Tropicana and Flamingo. That project must be finished within three years or the county must vacate the land.

Aladdin representatives objected to the special meeting saying the design of Harmon had been changed over the weekend and the hotel-casino had no opportunity to comment. They complained the "private negotiations" over the weekend will have an adverse affect on future Aladdin projects.

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