Study requested for 160 and Mtn. Falls Blvd.

Pahrump continues to grow and with much of the valley’s housing development focused on the southern end of town, traffic in that area is increasing. And one particular intersection is driving plenty of concern from both residents and local officials, leading to a formal letter from Nye County requesting the Nevada Dept. of Transportation conduct a study of the intersection of Highway 160 and Mountain Falls Blvd.

The letter was up for discussion during the Nye County Commission’s Tuesday, August 26 meeting, where Nye County Public Works Director Thomas Bolling provided an overview of the situation. He and his staff had met with representatives from NDOT the previous week, Bolling explained, and the Mountain Falls intersection was one of the issues that was brought to the table. But NDOT is not so keen to perform a single-intersection safety study, he stated.

“They would rather do an entire corridor study but a corridor study would take up to three years for them to complete. We do not want to wait that long,” Bolling detailed.

Therefore, a formal letter from the commission requesting the single-intersection study would carry more weight and would hopefully help move the issue forward. However, he did note, “It’s not in the [NDOT] budget for this fiscal year so it probably wouldn’t happen until next fiscal year. But still, it wouldn’t be three years from now.”

Linda Clark, a resident of Mountain Falls subdivision and regular user of the intersection, commented that it was no secret the intersection was terrible for drivers and she herself shudders every time she approaches it. “There is going to be a serious accident there,” she asserted.

Another resident, Ammie Nelson, recalled the time when former Nye County Commissioner Donna Cox had expressed similar concerns about Homestead Road and Highway 160 and just a few days afterward, a baby was killed in a major car crash at that intersection. “I would insist on asking them to make it quick,” Nelson urged.

It’s not just complaints and concerns that support the case for an intersection study, either. According to NDOT data, there were 21 reported crashes at the intersection of Mountain Falls and Highway 160 between 2016 and 2023. Of these, 10 involved injuries and the remaining involved property damage, data that the county highlighted in its letter.

“These figures support the community’s perception of risk and reinforce the county’s position that further evaluation is warranted,” the letter states.

Before the item came to a vote, Bolling added that one amendment to the letter was needed, as NDOT had asked that language be inserted reading, “We respectfully request NDOT consider performing a traffic and safety evaluation for the intersection. Nye County is committed to working collaboratively with your team to identify practical solutions that enhance the safety and performance of this corridor for all users.”

With full backing from the board evident, commissioner Debra Strickland made the motion to approve the letter with NDOT’s suggested amendment and John Koenig offered a second. The motion passed 4-0 with commissioner Bruce Jabbour absent.

“Nye County is reaching out to formally express concern regarding the safety and performance of the intersection at Mountain Falls Blvd. and State Route 160 in Pahrump NV. This intersection is a critical access point for the Mountain Falls subdivision and has generated a growing number of public complaints related to vehicle speeds and limited line of sight visibility,” the letter reads.

It goes on to state that a master traffic study update for the Mountain Falls subdivision is currently underway, preliminary findings of which project that the intersection will begin to operate a “Level of Service F” rating by 2030.

“There are also 5,000 additional homes planned in the area that would use State Route 160, adding more traffic to an intersection that is already projected to operate at a Level of Service F. Nye County’s traffic study guidelines require mitigation when intersection Level of Service drops below C as a result of development, which further underscores the need for future improvements,” the letter explains.

Contact reporter Robin Hebrock at rhebrock@pvtimes.com