Senate overrides F Street veto; cost estimated at $45M

By Cy Ryan

Monday, June 1, 2009 | 10:19 p.m.

CARSON CITY – The Senate voted 17-4 on Monday night to override the veto of Gov. Jim Gibbons on a bill to start connecting West Las Vegas to the downtown area via F Street.

Senate Majority Leader Steven Horsford pledged that money to construct the project won't come from other projects in the state. And the cost could be anywhere from $25 million to $70 million.

The bill, overridden by the Assembly 29-13, requires Las Vegas to supply $22.5 million to estimate the cost and contribute to the construction. The city and the state Transportation Department would work together to secure federal funds.

Horsford said there is a pending suit by residents of West Las Vegas and a verdict could cost hundreds of millions of dollars. This bill would mitigate any damages, he said.

Horsford, D-Las Vegas, said construction of Interstate 15 “physically isolates West Las Vegas," an area that is predominantly black. Residents are cut off from their employment and entertainment, he said.

He also said there was inadequate notice to residents in the area about the expansion of Interstate 15 that cuts off F Street to the downtown area. He said those who live on G and H Streets did not get notice that the freeway was going through to cut off F Street.

He said the project would cost an estimated $45 million. But Gov. Gibbons, in his veto message, said the cost would be an estimated $70 million.

Senate Minority Leader Bill Raggio, R-Reno, questioned whether money would be taken from a Carson City freeway and the expansion of Interstate 80 to fund the F street project.

He also asked whether the F Street project would take priority over other jobs.

Horsford said the F Street project would have to go through the normal course of approval. There is a contractor working on Interstate 15 and that contract could be adjusted to include F Street to save money. If the project is delayed two to three years the cost could escalate, he said.

And he said there is no intent to “divert funds” from other projects.