Commuting on a section of Highway 160 in town is about to get easier, as an almost two-mile stretch is set to be widened.
The Nevada Department of Transportation is set to begin a $3.49 million widening of State Route 160 between Rainbow Avenue and Calvada Boulevard in July.
The project will expand a heavily-traveled 1.75 mile stretch of highway from two to four travel lanes, in addition to adding a center turn lane and flattening of side slope shoulders for safer vehicle turnouts.
The project also includes installing new drainage pipe and hydro-seeding surrounding desert landscape.
“This project will greatly enhance motorist and pedestrian mobility and safety,” said State Assemblyman James Oscarson, who represents District 36. “This is yet another step toward delivering a safe, reliable transportation network for the residents and businesses of Pahrump and greater Nye County.”
The project, which Las Vegas Paving is the general contractor for, will place 23,000 tons of asphalt, or enough to pave 3,600 driveways, and move enough dirt to fill 46,000 pickup trucks.
Construction will entail temporary barrier railing along the stretch of highway with work taking place from 6 a.m. until 2:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. The widening project is planned for completion by December.
Motorists are urged to use caution while traveling through the work zone, heeding construction signage and taking alternate routes, if possible.
This is the latest widening project set for SR-160, as a five-mile stretch on the Las Vegas side is also being widened from two travel lanes to four.
The $16.5 million project will create two travel lanes in each direction from the SR-159 intersection and mile marker 16.63.
Other work calls for flattening side slope shoulders for safer vehicle turnouts, plus installing new drainage pipe, placing guardrails and hydro-seeding 38 acres. The project, whom Aggregate Industries-SWR Inc. is the general contractor for, is scheduled for completion in early 2017.
A one-mile portion of SR-160, from SR-159 is slated to open during the first week of June, but the rest of the five-mile project will open once the rest of the four miles is complete.
For current road information go to: www.nvroads.com
Contact reporter Mick Akers at makers@pvtimes.com. Follow @mickakers on Twitter.