Lights much-needed around valley

This week readers want to know about the construction at Warm Springs and Interstate 215, why road work on U.S. Highway 95 in Searchlight stopped, and why it's still dark on U.S. 95 despite promises from the Nevada Department of Transportation that the lights would be on in April.

A reader asks: What are they doing at the intersection of Warm Springs Road and Interstate 215?

The Clark County public works department is installing a much-needed traffic light at the intersection to help motorists who are exiting from I-215 westbound, said spokesman Bobby Shelton.

He explained that because there was no traffic signal, drivers were having a hard time getting through the busy intersection at Warm Springs.

The $579,000 project began in March and is expected to wrap up mid-June, Shelton said.

Norm Collins writes: Whatever happened to the U.S. 95 widening project in Searchlight? A new road was put through town and about one mile south of town but never finished. It has been about 90 percent finished for the past two or three months and all equipment is either parked or gone. I realize that money is short but it would seem that the money to finish this would have been in the project plan. When will it be finished?

Mary Martini, District 1 engineer for the Transportation Department said the slow down for phase three of the widening project was caused by recent cool weather.

Phase three has seen the widening of U.S. 95 from 2.5 miles south of Searchlight to the northern limit of the town at a cost of $11.4 million.

"We need the temperature to be consistently 70 degrees for open-grade paving," she said. Once the warm weather arrives, paving should get under way followed by road striping.

"It will probably be done by the end of June," Martini said.

Of course, that is just phase three. On Thursday, the Transportation Department expects the bidding process to begin on the next phase, aptly named phase four.

Martini said if all goes well, work on the next phase should begin in August.

Jim Lane is back and still not happy. He writes: Well here I am again. I believe the Transportation Department told you by the end of March (it was actually April) the lights on U.S. 95 east of the Spaghetti Bowl would be on. They speak with a forked tongue. Only 15 months without lights. I still say they don't give a rip.

Ouch.

I can't really blame Jim for his harsh tone. Assurances were made by the Transportation Department that the lights would be back on. And I understand that it can be difficult and scary to drive that busy freeway at night without lights.

There's some background to this: The blackout on U.S. 95 occurred when copper thieves ripped out wiring from the freeway lights more than a year ago. When officials had some of the lights repaired, the thieves were quick to plunder the new wiring. It caused the Transportation Department to figure out a way to fix the lights and prevent future thefts -- which is expected to cost taxpayers upwards of $500,000.

So what's the hold up?

Martini told me that securing the light poles is taking a bit longer than originally expected. It will take a couple more months to finish, she said.

Transportation Department crews are the ones replacing the wiring. Martini said it saved time and money for Transportation Department crews to do the work and not put it out to bid, which is a longer process.

Martini said as each section of lights is rewired and secured, the lights are being turned back on.

I'm hoping you won't have to write back in a couple of months, Jim, to let me know the lights aren't on.

If you have a question, tip or tirade, call Francis McCabe at (702) 387-2904, or send an e-mail to roadwarrior@reviewjournal.com. Please include your phone number.