$1.28 billion transportation budget OK'd

The Nevada Board of Transportation Tuesday approved a $1.28 billion two-year budget for the Nevada Department of Transportation.

That includes a total of $933.85 million for construction.

Transportation Director Jeff Fontaine told the board headed by Gov. Kenny Guinn the vast majority of the money goes into NDOT's construction, repair and upgrade program. Another $234 million goes into personnel costs within the department.

Nearly all of the money comes from the highway fund, registration, licensing and other fees, not from the state's general fund.

Of that total, $489 million is slated for Clark County, the largest pieces on the Highway 95 and Interstate 15 project. Four phases of the I -15 construction project, which is designed to relieve serious congestion problems in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, total $253 million.

The biggest project in Northern Nevada is the reconstruction and expansion of Interstate 580 between Reno and Carson City. Construction of the six-lane stretch from the Mount Rose Highway to Bowers Mansion in Washoe Valley will cost a total of $210 million. The four major bridges needed on that section of road are under construction.

That is the bulk of $250.8 million slated for Washoe County. But Washoe already has several major projects under way including reconstruction of the Spaghetti Bowl where Interstate 80 and Highway 395 meet.

Several projects in the budget are for Highway 50 between Fernley and Carson City, including $16 million to widen 50A from the Lyon-Churchill County line to Leetville Junction, projects totaling more than $26 million in the Fernley area and $6.65 million to widen Highway 50 East from Fortune Drive to Chavez Road East of Dayton.

The proposed budget and construction program must be signed off by the budget office, Guinn's office and acted on by the 2005 Legislature.

Contact Geoff Dornan at nevadaappeal@sbcglobal.net or 687-8750.