Fairview, Clear Creek work nearly done

Key transportation and water-related construction projects on Fairview Drive and old Clear Creek Road are near completion, Carson City officials said Thursday.

The Fairview Drive safety median from Roop to Carson Street, designed and mostly done by Wednesday due to heavy traffic streaming west from I-580 freeway to the east, is finished but for paint striping and minor detail work.

The paving part of the water and road work on old Clear Creek between Costco and Fuji Park was completed Wednesday as well, but striping and other detail work will take at least through the weekend, Another part of that project involves Vista Grande heading south.

It was primarily a water project with roadwork attached, and the more costly of the two projects. But the Fairview Drive median was done for safety reasons and though it cost about $100,000, it was deemed crucial in part because left-hand turns by eastbound traffic were problematic and troublesome with so much westbound traffic coming from the freeway.

“We are happy to report that it is functional,” said Transportation Manager Patrick Pittenger. The project was done at night to avoid high-volume daylight traffic hours. The median work was done on Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday nights. A couple of median breaks allow more controlled left-hand turns into the shopping center in which CVS Pharmacy, Que’s BBQ, Lowe’s and other retail outlets are located.

Pittenger noted 95 percent of the Fairview median cost was borne by federal safety funds from the U.S. Department of Transportation.

The water and road work on old Clear Creek on the city’s south edge is mainly for intertie water lines involving Douglas County and Carson City at a cost of $1.2 million, but the road work was part of it because the lines went there.

“We ran a water line right down the middle,” said Rick Cooley, construction manager.

With the paving done, the goal is to complete the rest of the detail work on the road before Independence Day. Part of the hustle was to make certain everything is done well before the Nevada Sesquicentennial Fair, which is set to run at the Fuji Park and Fairgrounds July 30-Aug. 3. Public Works is also completing projects in Fuji in preparation for the fair, along with the water/road work on old Clear Creek.

“That’s been the plan all along,” said Pittenger.

Pittenger and Cooley said the Public Works Department has been working Fridays and Saturdays to get all the work done before the fair. The usual official Public Works’ hours are 7 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Monday-Thursday.

The fair at Fuji is a Nevada 150 Signature event, part of the Silver State’s lineup of celebratory attractions as the state reaches 150 years of age.