Unusual sightings pique interest

Observant motorists who see something suspicious or strange on the side of the roads shouldn't hesitate to shoot me a note and ask about it. They might not believe it fits into the transportation or traffic category, but you never know how many other drivers or residents are wondering the same thing.

This is an interesting one from Mark: On side streets I see what appears to be small electronic signs placed on light poles. They are never on, so I don't know what they say. Do you happen to know what they are?

These are called trailblazing signs. They are electronic signs that guide motorists to the nearest freeway. The Department of Transportation installed them so that motorists who might be diverted from a freeway because of an accident or other incident can find their way back to the freeway using the detour routes, which are typically side streets a few blocks away. So, they are only used when there is a detour.

Steve asks: Why are there amber flashing lights on the back of signs near signals on Interstate 215? If you are headed west, for example, there is a flashing light on the sign for eastbound traffic. I did notice that the same type of lights are on the back of school speed zone signs, which make a lot of sense, I guess. It lets drivers know where the zone ends coming from the other direction as well as police watching the zones. The other one is anybody's guess.

According to Clark County Public Works officials, the lights on the back of the "prepare to stop" flashers are not for motorists traveling in the opposing direction, but for the signal technicians. They use these lights to help with maintenance and troubleshoot problems from their signal control cabinet.

Mickey wants more Beltway: Can you tell me if there are plans to extend Interstate 215 (also known as the Las Vegas Beltway) to Las Vegas Boulevard on the north end of town. It would improve access to Nellis Air Force Base and businesses in the northeast.

When Clark County first mapped out the Beltway, it intended to make it a bypass that would circle the Las Vegas Valley. Traffic engineers planned to bring the Beltway around to the east side of town and connect it with Highway 95. Of course, the east side of town is one of the older areas, and that posed a problem. Unlike the northwest, where the county had ample open desert with which to work, the east side was already dense with residential and commercial areas. Acquiring the right of way for the highway by buying out property owners or taking property through imminent domain made the endeavor too costly. So the answer, Mickey, is no.

Another reader has this: I frequently see people changing tires along southbound Rancho Drive, south of Highway 95 (near the Spaghetti Bowl, not up north). They often have to block the entrances to communities along that stretch, pulling over to change the tire. The reason seems to be the awkward placement of the sidewalk at the southwest corner of Mesquite and Rancho. It sticks out a good couple of feet farther than the curb on the northwest side, and people cruising down Rancho hit that curb hard enough to blow out a tire. I don't think the traffic authorities in this case are unaware of this. They may have even painted the curb in a futile effort to draw attention to it. But the problem hasn't stopped.

The Nevada Department of Transportation's road and traffic engineers think they have adequately addressed the problem. Several years ago, they placed an edge line to guide drives along Rancho and around that curb jutting out at Mesquite. They have no plans to modify the curb, but they will request that their maintenance crews go back out there and repaint the edge line. Hopefully that will help.

Kerry is confused: A year ago I looked up the construction project between Horse Drive and Indian Springs Road and they said it would take 300-some-odd days. About a month and a half ago, it looked like they were finished. Now, after shutting down lanes again, it looks like they're planning to repave what they paved less than a year ago.

The state Department of Transportation has repaved Highway 95 north of Horse toward Indian Springs, and that is not what the project crews are preparing to do. According to the agency, the new repaving project will be the roadway south of Horse Drive. They have given this a shot before, but the weather has not cooperated. Since summer is upon us, it is likely that this project will be done and out of the way very soon.

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