Turns out roads are sensitive, too

The Road Warrior opens this week's installment of questions-answers with an apology. Not for any critical misinformation; rather, in the flood of emails he receives each week, the Road Warrior accidentally lost the name of the author of today's first question:

"My wife says when she was living in Wichita Falls, Texas, the city implemented a program in which pressure-sensitive switches were placed just under the road's surface at intersections. When a car arrived in the left-turn lane, its weight would activate the switch, changing the signal and allowing the vehicle to turn left. Now, whenever we sit at a long light she tells me, 'Pull up, you're not on the switch.' Sometimes I pull up, just to humor her, but I don't really believe there are switches in the road that recognize the arrival of a vehicle. Is she right about this?"

To answer this question, we welcome in David D. Crisler, traffic operations supervisor for the Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada's Freeway and Arterial System of Transportation: "Given changes in technology, your wife is partially correct. We don't use pressure sensors in roads, but there are wire loops within the pavement that can sense the change in a magnetic field when a vehicle is over the loop."

So sorry, sir, for losing your name. But not as sorry as you will be when your wife "humors" you with a "I told you so!"

Bruce is a cyclist who regularly travels south on Maryland Parkway, between Sahara Avenue and Flamingo Road. From his long email, it appears he's a little sore - more than just his fanny - over a lack of repaving in the rough curbside lane along part of that stretch despite recent repaving of inner lanes: "Was this one southbound lane, for some mysterious reason, not included in the repaving contract?"

The work in that area was/is an interagency project between Clark County and the Las Vegas Valley Water District.

Dan Kulin of the county explains, "The southbound outside lanes on Maryland Parkway from Karen Avenue to Desert Inn Road were left out of our pavement rehabilitation contract in coordination with the water district for its waterline rehab project. That section of roadway will be repaved by the water district with the completion of its work," which isn't expected to be until next fall, at the earliest.

Molly requests a follow-up to a question that was asked earlier this year: "Any update on the traffic light that was to be installed this fall at Sahara Avenue and Red Rock Ranch Road, west of the Las Vegas Beltway?"

Your question is answered here, and soon to be answered at your intersection. Again, we turn to Clark County's Kulin: "The signal design has been completed by Summerlin's engineer. The developer applied for a construction permit last week, and the signal should be built in the next six months."

Bob of North Las Vegas is concerned about the intersection of North Fifth Street and Centennial Parkway, where he says he has witnessed a number of accidents. He notes, "Some of us wonder why the city of North Las Vegas is dragging its feet by not putting up the needed traffic light. We think it's odd that they put up traffic lights on quiet residential streets, but none on a road where there are hundreds of cars each day and frequent accidents."

The Road Warrior appreciates Bob's concern for the safety of the driving public in that area. As does North Las Vegas spokeswoman Juliet Casey, who responds: "The city has plans to install a traffic signal at the intersection of Centennial Parkway and North Fifth Street. The tentative start date is about 18 months out."

Linda admits to being confused by the high-occupancy vehicle lane on U.S. Highway 95, specifically the solid white line, with no breaks, that separates it from other traffic lanes: "If one is not allowed to cross the solid white line into the HOV lane, how is one supposed to use it?"

The Road Warrior has addressed this question before, but the answer bears repeating, and we figure it might sound a little more official if it came from a Nevada Highway Patrol official.

Explains trooper Loy Hixson, "A single solid white line that marks the separation of the HOV lane is an advisory only, unless it's accompanied by a posted sign that says, 'No lane changes.' It's the double parallel solid white line that is not to be crossed."

We conclude this week's installment with a question from Theresa of Boulder City - as well as by several other readers - regarding a "beautiful" new rest area on U.S. Highway 95, between Cal-Nev-Ari and state Route 163, that has yet to open: "Is there a problem? Has a date been set for the opening? It seems to have been completed quite some time ago."

Never has a rest area received so much love.

Nevada Department of Transportation spokesman Damon Hodge says, "We ran into some issues with design, excavations and, most significantly, the water system. We had to excavate for 1½ miles to bring electricity to the site, drill 1,100 feet down to get groundwater and then meet strict state standards for potable water (used in the fountains, sinks and toilets, etc). We're still working on the water issue. We're hoping to open the facility around the new year, or shortly after."

If you have traffic questions or gripes, email them to roadwarrior@reviewjournal.com. Please be specific, and include your phone number. Not all questions can be answered in print. Follow the Road Warrior on Twitter: @RJroadwarrior.