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 Clark
County Public Works continues to work on completing a
full-freeway Beltway facility to serve the many
residents of Las Vegas Valley. In 2003,
an initial facility was completed in a right-of-way
footprint that is wide enough to eventually accommodate
up to ten lanes, five in each direction.
The initial facility provided frontage roads,
partial freeway configurations, and an expandable
four-lane highway.
Since 2003, the initial facility is being
converted, segment-by-segment, to a full-freeway
facility. The
full-freeway facility will consist of a divided highway
with grade-separated interchanges and cross streets.
Current costs total about $994 million to purchase the
right-of-way and design and construct the improvements
that are now in place.
These local public funds have primarily come from
revenues generated from the Master Transportation Plan,
approved by voters in 1990, and the Regional
Transportation Fair Share Funding Program, approved by
voters in 2002. For
several years, Clark County Public Works has estimated
that, by completion in 2013, total costs for the Beltway
will reach a total of $1.7 billion.
However, if construction bid prices continue to
climb, it is possible that the final cost could be
higher.
The most recent accomplishments on the Beltway include
the following:
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Motorists
in the southwest valley are now able to drive on
four new freeway lanes between Buffalo Drive and Sunset Road. These lanes, two in each
direction, were opened to traffic on June 28
following a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Clark County Commissioner Bruce Woodbury
praised the
$29.6 million project for its benefits to residents
and motorists in the area.
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Another
project that was recently completed is the widening
of the Beltway from Pecos
to Stephanie. For a cost of $8 million, one
travel lane and an auxiliary lane were provided in
each direction. The auxiliary lanes provide
additional space and time to merge on and off the
Beltway's travel lanes, thereby providing another
safety measure.
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Clark
County Public Works anticipates that new Western
Beltway lanes from Sunset Road to Hualapai Way will open for traffic during the second week in
August. Two freeway lanes in each direction
will be provided, in addition to freeway
interchanges at Russell Road and Tropicana Avenue. This $42.3 million project also includes
high mast lighting and soundwalls in certain
locations.
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Then
by mid August, construction is scheduled to begin to
improve the Beltway segment from about 100 feet
north of Summerlin Parkway to Craig Road. This fifteen-month construction project will
cost about $44.4 million. The roadway will be
widened with the addition of a northbound and
southbound travel lane from Summerlin Parkway to
Craig Road. An auxiliary lane in each direction will
also be constructed between Lake Mead Boulevard and Cheyenne Avenue, with a bridge structure at
Cheyenne Avenue.
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Design
is nearly complete on the full-freeway upgrade from Charleston Boulevard
to just north of Summerlin Parkway. That project, estimated at approximately
$120 million, includes a major interchange at Summerlin Parkway
and the Beltway. Public Works is currently
working with some of the adjacent property owners
regarding possible sound wall construction in some
of the areas. If sufficient funding can be
identified, construction could begin in the first
quarter of 2007. The construction work will be
packaged to include a previously delayed freeway
interchange at Lake Mead Boulevard.
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Design
has recently started on Western Beltway segment
improvements from Hualapai to Charleston. Designers anticipate presenting the design
for public comments in Fall 2006.
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Design
is also underway on a couple of segments on the
Northern Beltway. Between Tenaya and Decatur, the
design for the full-freeway improvements will
include interchanges at Jones and Decatur.
Design is expected to be complete by the end of
2006. Public Works anticipates the
full-freeway design on another segment, from Decatur
to North 5th Street , to be completed by the end of 2007. Interchanges
on that segment are to be provided at Aliante, North
5th, and Revere.
For
more information on the upcoming projects, check the
Department of Public Works webpages at
http://www.accessclarkcounty.com/pubworks
or phone Cathy Razor at 455-6015.
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