Candlesticks won’t be back until I-15 work done

Interstate 15 is a mess and will continue to be for the next several weeks. As the repaving work progresses, you might have questions related to the project. If so, shoot me a line, and I'll do my best to find the answer. We'll start the day with two freeway-related inquiries:

Bill asks: I noticed that the candlestick dividers have been removed from the express lanes on Interstate 15 both north and south. Is this a permanent change or will they be coming back?

These were recently removed as part of the I-15 repaving project that has only been going on a couple of days, already long enough to make most commuters' ride hell. The project will last through October, so you won't be seeing the candlesticks until then. They will be back, though. As we've mentioned before, eventually these candlesticks will be along the stretch of express lanes just south of Sahara Avenue all the way to Russell Road.

Sticking with I-15 repaving, Skip has this: The TV news says the road re surfacing will be done with crushed tire material instead of asphalt. I remember that material was used on a road project several months ago in Henderson. Is it cheaper to use the crushed tire material than regular asphalt? I live in a gated community here in Las Vegas so our roads are considered private streets and we pay for road repairs, not the county. That is why I would like to know if the crushed tire material would save us money for future street repairs as compared to using regular asphalt material.

Using the recycled tires, better known as crumb rubber, is less expensive but the cost difference isn't necessarily in the initial price tag of the project. What makes the bigger difference is the life span of the rubberized asphalt compared with regular asphalt overlay, according to the Nevada Department of Transportation. The crumb rubber surface does not crack as easily, and it remains smoother, providing for a more comfortable and safer ride. According to Calrecycle, rubberized asphalt surfaces last 50 percent longer than traditional asphalt freeways. To put that in context, Interstate 15 hasn't been fully repaved in 15 years, so it could be another 22 or 23 years before it must be done again.

This is obviously also a greener way to go: About 100,000 tires that typically would be buried in a landfill will be used for the I-15 paving job.

Charles: Torrey Pines Avenue north of Washington Avenue is being worked on to replace corner curbs with wider handicapped access cut-outs with anti-skid pads. Last fall, a company did the east side of the street and performed the work efficiently and quickly. They worked on two side streets per day and completed each within 24 to 48 hours. There was virtually no construction delay for residential traffic.

Now, for the west side of the street, the current company has decided to do all of the corners at the same time. They do the first operation for all of the corners, then go back and do the second operation, etc. That means that the entire length of the project is torn up and blocked by orange cones. This has caused a continuing traffic problem for residents. Is there a reasonable explanation for the manner in which this new company is performing the work?

Charles is correct: Two companies are handling the removal of deteriorated curbs, gutters and asphalt along sidewalks, as well as adding ramps to comply with the Americans With Disabilities Act. According to the city of Las Vegas, the two companies approached the projects differently, and both methods are acceptable.

The first company opted to work at one construction at a time, finishing both sides of intersection before moving on to the next one. The company now working on Torrey Pines chose to work on one side of an intersection at a time and handle several intersections at one time. Although the first company's approach only affected one intersection at a time, it caused more lane restrictions because all sides were done at once. The impact to traffic is less with the second company's approach, but lane restrictions are in effect at several intersections.

As far as the speed of the work. It might seem like the second company's approach is slower, but actually there is more work to do: They are replacing 28 supportive side walls and 42 ramps in four weeks. The first crew was charged with replacing 15 side walls and 25 ramps in two weeks.

Susie seeks signage: I was going south on Highway 95 and wanted to go south on Valley View Boulevard. I exited the freeway and was in the left lane of the exit ramp when up above appeared a sign pointing north which read "south."  Knowing I had to go south, I followed the sign, which took me to Rancho Drive. The sign should read "south to Rancho." Could you get the words "to Rancho" added?

Susie, the folks at the Nevada Department of Transportation drove that exit to see whether there was a signage issue. They didn't see a problem and believe this is what happened: The Valley View south exit is the second on that ramp and it is to the right. The sign that you saw that said "south" was referring to U.S. 95, not Valley View. So you remained in the left-most lane and returned to the freeway. Upon re-entry to U.S. 95, you would have been traveling in the Rancho Drive exit lane. That is how you ended up on Rancho. It is a confusing exit because it also serves as the onramps from Valley View and Decatur boulevards.

Contact reporter Adrienne Packer at apacker@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2904.