Nevada OKs $60 Million for ‘Project Neon’ Work

The state Transportation Board recently approved $60-million for preliminary work on Project Neon, the state's largest proposed road job, while simultaneously ratcheting oversight of department contracts. Project Neon calls for improving a 3.7-mile stretch of Interstate-15 between Sahara Avenue and the U.S. 95/515 "Spaghetti Bowl" interchange in Las Vegas, which sees 257,800 cars daily.

Last year, the Federal Highway Administration gave approval to conduct environmental studies for Project Neon, thereby freeing the Nevada Department of Transportation to start final design and construction. The $60-million will be used to acquire 93 acres of needed right-of-way land and perform preliminary engineering. Relocation of 7,800-ft of electrical lines, and 4,000-ft of a 36-in.-dia. water line under Oakey/Wyoming Avenue, will follow.

Project Neon will create better overall access to downtown Las Vegas and the North Strip by upgrading the Sahara Avenue and Charleston Boulevard interchanges, the half interchange at Alta Drive, the Martin Luther King-Industrial Road connector over I-15, and the Oakey Boulevard-Wyoming Avenue railroad overpass.

I-15 will also be reconstructed to provide high occupancy vehicle lanes and auxiliary lanes, while adding four to five through travel lanes. Officials expect to break ground next year, with possible completion by 2030 (depending upon funding).

The total project cost is estimated to run between $1.3 billion and $1.8 billion. Initial money for Project Neon comes as the state Transportation Board takes tighter control over NDOT contract awards.

Headed by Gov. Brian Sandoval-R, the seven-member board currently meets quarterly and doesn’t exercise authority over any agency contracts or service agreements. Department director Susan Martinovich approves items and subsequently reports the actions to the board.

Sandoval believes more oversight is needed to ensure public transparency, which will mean more frequent meetings. From now on, all agreements over $300,000 for non-construction matters such as hiring consultants, entering into leases and selecting service providers, will come to the board for approval. All construction contracts over $5 million, which is about 80% of NDOT contracts, will come to the board as well.

The changes will take effect starting in October.

“The public will have the ability to review these contracts as well and have input,” Sandoval says. “I’m very, very pleased and very optimistic about the ability of the public to have access to how government works.”