NDOT projected to spend $6.8 million in Nye County this year

The Nevada Department of Transportation plans to spend $6.8 million on road projects around Nye County for this fiscal year. That does not include the cost of finishing the two roundabout projects on Highway 372, and the widening of Highway 160, both of which were on last year’s budget.

The agency plans a number of road projects in the northern part of Nye County, officials said.

Among the 2017 projects are double chip seal from Gabbs Valley Road to Toiyable National Forest on State Route 844 ($648,000), installing new cattle guards on Highway 6 ($20,000), multiple chip seal projects on Highway 6 ($844,000), chain signs on Highway 6 from South Cazier Road to Currant Creek, and multiple chip seal projects on state routes 375, 376 and 318 ($3 million).

Future projects that are planned for later years include roadway reconstructs on Highway 95 and Highway 6, and flush seals on Highway 95 and State Route 373.

Cleveland Dudley, transportation analyst for program development in Southern Nevada at NDOT, said the agency also plans to spend money on the Nye County Senior Nutrition Program, Pahrump Senior Center and NyE Communities Coalition.

“We also have money in our documents for the Nye County Senior Nutrition Program, $133,000, the Pahrump Senior Center for $209,000 and Nye County Communities Coalition for $106,000,” Dudley said.

In Tonopah, $915,000 is slated to remodel NDOT’s Maintenance Station Administration Building.

Tony Illia, NDOT’s spokesman, said the agency spent $24.8 million in planned projects in Nye County in the fiscal year 2016 and will spend $26.6 million on planned projects in the fiscal year 2018. There is $146 million in long-term projects in the planning stages for the fiscal year 2021 and beyond.

“Keep in mind, these are simply planned projects. They are still dependent upon available state and federal funding. As such, there is no guarantee that these projects will actually occur,” he said.

Illia said that the residents of Nye County, unlike Clark County, did not approve fuel revenue indexing, thereby limiting the resources available for underwriting transportation improvements.

Of the 19,127 votes cast for the county ballot question in November asking if the county should impose annual fuel tax increases to pay for road repairs and maintenance, 14,183 voted “no.”

Contact reporter Daria Sokolova at dsokolova@pvtimes.com. On Twitter: @dariasokolova77