U.S. 95 Widening Nears Completion

by Tony Illia

The $540 million, nine-mile-long U.S. 95 widening project in northwest Las Vegas is nearing completion. The seven-year, multi-phase undertaking will increase freeway capacity to ten-lanes from Martin Luther King to Rainbow Boulevards, and to six lanes from Rainbow Boulevard to Craig Road. One lane in each direction will also service High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) travel.

 

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The project suffered a scheduling setback when The Sierra Club filed a lawsuit in 2002, two years after work had started. The suit alleged that the government's environmental impact study didn't take into account health risks caused by certain pollutants, and wanted the FHA to take into account claims that highway pollution increases the risk of cancer in nearby residents.

Although an injunction was rejected by U.S. District Judge Philip Pro in March 2004, the environmental group prevailed at the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco. Both sides reached a June 2005 settlement that enabled major work to move forward.

The two remaining pieces are now both under construction, including the $63.2 million Project 3C, which reconstructs the U.S. 95 bridge over Rancho Dr. and the connector ramps to and from I-15. A new on-ramp from Martin Luther King to northbound U.S. 95 and a new off-ramp from southbound U.S. 95 to Martin Luther King will also be constructed.

North Las Vegas-based Frehner Construction Co. is the general contractor, with Parsons Brinkerhoff, New York, as the designer.

Las Vegas Paving Corp., meanwhile, is performing the $94.8 million Project 4B/5 widening featured in this issue. Both projects are expected to finish by fall 2007.

An overview of the separate bid packages
for the U.S. 95 Widening Project in Las Vegas.

Project 1A

Widen from Washington
to Cheyenne Ave.
Completed: Sept. 2001
Construction Cost: $13.9 million
Design: Sverdrup Civil
Contractor: Meadow Valley Contractors

Project 1B

Widen from Cheyenne Avenue
to Craig Road
Completed: June 2002
Construction Cost: $9.2 million
Design: Sverdrup Civil
Contractor: Las Vegas Paving

Project 2A

Replacement bridge at
Torrey Pines Dr.
Completed: April 2002
Construction Cost: $3.6 million
Design: Parsons Transportation Group
Contractor: Crystal Cascades

Project 2B

Replacement bridge at Decatur Blvd.
and Valley View Blvd.
Completed: September 2003
Construction Cost: $20.4 million
Design: Parsons Transportation Group
Contractor: MMC Inc.

Project 2C & 2D

Summerlin Pkwy. /
Rainbow Blvd. Interchange
Completed: August 2005
Construction Cost: $42 million
Design: PBS&J
Contractor: Frehner Construction

Company Project 3A

S.R. 599 Rancho Drive Storm Drain
Completed: June 2004
Construction Cost: $5.8 million
Design: Parsons Brinckerhoff/ VTN
Contractor: Las Vegas Paving

Company Project 3B

Storm Drain and Sound Walls
Completed: February 2005
Construction Cost: $16 million
Design: Parsons Brinckerhoff Quade
& Douglas
Contractor: Frehner Construction
Company

Company Project 3C

Interchange and ramps at Martin Luther King Blvd. and Rancho Dr.
Estimated Completion: Fall 2007
Construction Cost: $63.2 million
Design: Parsons Brinckerhoff Quade
& Douglas
Contractor: Frehner Construction Co.

Company Project 4A

Storm Drain and Sound Walls
Completed: September 2005
Construction Cost: $19.5 million
Design: Parsons Transportation Group
Contractor: Meadow Valley Contractors

Company Project 4B/5

Widen east of Valley View Blvd. to Rainbow Blvd. Interchange
Estimated Completion: Fall 2007
Construction Cost: $94.8 million
Design: Parsons Transportation
Group/ PBS&J
Contractor: Las Vegas Paving

Source: Nevada Department of Transportation

 
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