Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

New funding to pay for upgrades on pair of U.S. 95 bridges

Nevada was awarded about $10 million in federal money for upcoming improvements to the U.S. 95 bridges at Desert Inn Road and Eastern Avenue, the U.S. Department of Transportation announced this morning.

Nevada’s $9.8 million grant is part of $225 million earmarked for 20 projects in 18 states through the Competitive Highway Bridge Program, officials said. U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao made the announcement in a news release.

It wasn’t clear when construction will begin locally, but accelerated bridge construction techniques will allow for an expedited completion and less disruption for motorists, the federal agency said.

The Nevada Department of Transportation considers the bridge deck at Desert Inn and the superstructure at Eastern to be in poor condition and "structurally deficient" but not unsafe or dangerous, said spokesman Tony Illia. Bridge inspections are conducted by the state agency every two years, but structures with “extensive deterioration” are looked at more often, Illia said.

On average, more than 150,000 vehicles pass daily across the Desert Inn bridge — and 130,000 over Eastern, Illia said. “These bridges are due for corrective measures,” he said, adding that weight restrictions could be posted.

The bridge repairs are a priority and preliminary engineering for the project has been accelerated, Illia said. “It’s especially crucial since I-515 is one of three candidates for the future I-11 corridor through the Las Vegas Valley,” he wrote in a release.

Interstate 515, more commonly known as U.S. 95, is a stretch of highway that runs about 20 miles from the Spaghetti Bowl interchange in downtown Las Vegas to southeastern Henderson. Interstate 11 is expected to link Las Vegas and Phoenix, and eventually Canada and Mexico. A 15-mile stretch of I-11 linking Hoover Dam and Henderson, and bypassing Boulder City, opened in 2018.

The “high-capacity, limited access” route will support regional, national and international trade in North America, Illia said.

As it stands, Nevada ranks second best in the United States for bridge quality, according to the American Road and Transportation Builders Association, dipping from the top spot it earned for five consecutive years prior, Illia said. About 1.4% of Nevada's 2,000 public bridges are structurally deficient — compared with the national average of about 7.6%, he added.