Boulder Highway is a thoroughfare with multiple lanes in Nevada. It is still among the most fatal roads in the US state. Pete Buttigieg, the Nevada Department of Transportation’s Secretary, had just heard about it. Buttigieg got an idea about what Nevada’s pedestrians come across each day on Boulder Highway as he moved along a crosswalk around Corn Street with Nevada officials. Buttigieg was here as part of the so-called ‘Reimagine Boulder Highway’ infrastructural project.
Buttigieg stated in a recent media conference that seeing the highway in person is different from hearing about it. When standing on this highway, one realizes how hazardous and intimidating traffic could be for a pedestrian attempting to get about. This is something Buttigieg experienced first-hand during his recent Las Vegas Valley trip.
Buttigieg visited Las Vegas to promote a new federal grant of $39 million from the DOT to Henderson City to reshape its highway between Russell Road and Greenway Road, including the two roadways. The objective is to increase the inclusivity of the road for people with wheelchairs, bicyclists, and walkers.
The said federal grant will aid in kickstarting the project, with $130 million as its estimated cost, and will break ground within 18 months or so. Henderson’s spokesperson Robert Herr said that the project would entail breaking Boulder Highway into a bus lane, a bicycle lane, and four lanes for cars in every single direction. Further, it will also make sidewalk stretches wider and continuous as well as will install more lighting. There will be better measures of flood control on Boulder Highway as well.
The project is also a collaboration including the RTC of Southern Nevada, Clark County, the Nevada DOT, Henderson City, and Las Vegas City. Buttigieg stated that its urgency was evident in the federal grant application from Henderson City. Buttigieg added that the project is a potential footprint for non-Henderson jurisdictions, particularly the jurisdictions with funding from the Senate-approved bipartisan infrastructure act.
Buttigieg stated that you feel the requirement for further economic support for the Henderson area. Buttigieg added that Clark County should better support the communities attempting to improve road safety.
Constructed in 1931, Boulder Highway connected rural Southern Nevada to the Arizona state. Since the 1930’s, there have been more highway constructions, and a wide roadway such as Boulder Highway is not needed in the urban county.
As for Buttigieg, Clark County knew little except for the way to widen a road, and people here felt that cars were only supposed to go faster. However, Buttigieg stated that there is a much more balanced viewpoint on how things should work. That way entails getting individuals to the places they should reach while causing it to be safe and making many options.
As for Buttigieg, Representative Susie Lee strongly championed the grant, alongside the other Nevada delegates in Congress. Lee contacted Buttigieg after Henderson and the Nevada Department of Transportation applied for that grant and asked him whether the delegates would consider them more.
This is unlikely to be the lone imminent project related to the US infrastructure. Lee stated that the Senate-approved bipartisan infrastructure legislation would give Nevada the following in the way of funding.
- $2.50 billion for new bridges
- $100 million to finance broadband internet expansion
- $38 million to expand EV charging stations over the next five years
- $462 million to make public transportation options better over the coming five years
The piece of legislation prioritizes improving many infrastructural facilities in the United States of America, including highways and bridges. As for Lee, it is a much-needed piece of legislation in the State of Nevada.
Describing Nevada as ‘ground zero’, Lee stated that COVID-19 devastated it as well as that it is among the states most badly affected by the climate change phenomenon. At the same time, Lee reminded us that Nevada has the highest economic opportunity when it comes to the infrastructural package.