By MARCUS JENSEN
The Progress
The road widening project of SR 169 from I-15 to Canal Avenue was originally scheduled to be complete by January of this year. Now, the project is not expected to be wrapped up until sometime in June.
As a result, motorists are still dealing with construction impacts such as pilot car conducted one-way traffic and reduced travel lane widths even when two-way traffic is allowed.
This project was awarded to contractor Las Vegas Paving (LVP) by the Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) on December 19, 2022, to Las Vegas Paving in the amount of $13,4 million. The grading work and utilities installation were mostly complete early this year, but unfavorable weather conditions and unexpected changes to the work have caused some delays.
The major remaining component of work is the placement of the asphalt paving. A significant amount of asphalt pavement was placed in recent weeks. However, according to NDOT Project Manager Nanette Maxwell, paving had to be halted for several days this winter because air temperatures were too cold for proper working of the asphalt pavement and because of rainy weather.
LVP Project Superintendent Kirk Mason explained that some of the grading has to be redone to meet the Nevada Department of Environmental Protection’s additional requirements for slope stabilization on certain sections of the roadway.
Maxwell and Mason confirmed that NDOT and LVP representatives have been concerned about traffic impacts to the public during the upcoming Clark County Fair, when SR 169 can be clogged with vehicles traveling to and from the fair. With this in mind, LVP plans to not perform work in the roadway from April 10-15 to minimize traffic impacts during the fair.
Recently, Las Vegas Paving put up message boards on the roadway notifying drivers of a 24-hour per day pilot car restriction which began at 8:00 a.m. on Sunday March 17, and will continue through 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday March 20. During this time frame, LVP will shift the concrete barrier rails from the eastern side of the travel way to the western side.
Pavement replacement will resume soon, along with the additional slope stabilization work.
Once that work is done, lane delineation striping, street lights, and signage work will quickly move the project to completion.
Mason observed that the traveling public has been very cooperative and understanding with regard to the construction impacts to travel along SR 169. He expressed great appreciation for the community’s patience with the work and thinks the community will be pleased with the final product.
3 thoughts on “Updates on S.R. 169 road-widening project”
What I find amazing is there are so many days when nothing is done. Not sure what the problem has been but now all of a sudden it’s it’s 24 hours day at least for this week. Just a little baffling!
I think they pulled equipment to the airport to do that job.
For a project that had one objective of alleviating delays while going to I-15 behind a large, slow moving trucks, it would take many years to recoup those minimal time losses compared to the delays created by this project.