The city of Las Vegas plans to begin work on a $920,000 project to install three new traffic signals and make traffic improvements at two more locations throughout the city limits. Construction is scheduled to start Monday, and will take approximately 10 months to complete.

Funding for the traffic improvements is provided by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

Part of this project will include the construction of traffic signals at the intersections of Rancho Drive and Palomino Lane, Washington Avenue and Comstock Drive, and Vegas and Pueblo Vista drives. Additionally, work will take place at the Rampart Boulevard and Hillpointe Road intersection to modify the traffic signal and roadway to provide dual left-turn movements for northbound to westbound travel. On Durango Drive, between Elkhorn Road and the 215 Beltway, two safety median islands will be installed.

Most of the construction will take place during the daytime hours and traffic lane restrictions can be expected in the coming months. The work will be done in phases.

The first planned work location is the installation of a traffic signal at the Rancho and Palomino intersection. A combination of day and night work will be performed.

“A signal at Rancho and Palomino will help improve the safety of this intersection, which has a lot of traffic associated with Wasden Elementary School,” said Ward 1 Councilwoman Lois Tarkanian, who represents this project area that also crosses into Ward 5.

Echoing the councilwoman’s comments as to the signal’s importance, Ward 5 Councilman Ricki Y. Barlow said that an average of 40,000 vehicles per day use this intersection, which also includes hospital associated traffic.

The second signal installation project that is scheduled to start later this month is the Washington and Comstock intersection, also located in Ward 5.
           
“Between 16,000 and 20,000 vehicles per day travel through the Washington and Comstock intersection,” Barlow said. “And because nearby Bonanza Village residents have only Comstock as their one way in and out of their neighborhood, it has become increasingly difficult for drivers to exit onto Washington. The new signal will solve that problem and will also provide a pedestrian phase for the residents who walk to and from the nearby bus stops.” 

At Vegas Drive and Pueblo Vista there is a multi-way stop “T-intersection” that carries about 15,000 vehicles per day.

“When completed, the new traffic signal will allow the much heavier traffic on Vegas to encounter far fewer stops because the signal timing along the Vegas Drive corridor can be coordinated,” said Councilman Stavros S. Anthony, who represents this area of Ward 4. “Reducing the number of stops for drivers will be a welcome improvement for east-west traffic.”

This intersection also crosses into Ward 2.

“The planned improvements at Rampart and Hillpointe will help the intersection better accommodate the heavy northbound to westbound left-turn traffic that has seen a marked increase since the Durango Drive interchange at the Summerlin Parkway opened, along with the opening of the Adelson Educational Campus on Hillpointe,” Ward 2 Councilman Steve Wolfson said.

In Centennial Hills, two safety median islands will be installed on Durango Drive, between Elkhorn Road and the 215 Beltway.

“As traffic along Durango Drive, north of the 215 Beltway, has increased to more than 35,000 vehicles per day, exiting left from some of the commercial driveways has become much more challenging for drivers to safely judge gaps in the traffic stream,” said Councilman Steven D. Ross who represents this area of Ward 6. “The islands will restrict some of these left out movements to, instead, require drivers to turn right and make a much safer u-turn.” 

The improvements are slated for completion next summer. Southern Nevada Paving is the contractor. The city of Las Vegas Public Works Department is managing the project.