Las Vegas NowUS-95 Construction Will Resume This Fall

US-95 Construction Will Resume This Fall

Contact Reporter Brian Allen

The US-95 expansion project has been delayed now for nearly a year, as the Sierra Club and the Federal Highway Administration argued over the project's pollution potential.

For over three years now the Sierra Club has voiced concerns about three schools located near the freeway expansion project and the toxins students at those schools could be exposed to if the widening went ahead as planned.

The agreement clears the way for construction to resume, but doing so required making several concessions to the Sierra Club. "We have come up with a solution that is going to keep people safer, healthier for the rest of their lives and that's a huge gain that we've made for the people right here in Las Vegas today," said Jane Feldman.

Sierra Club spokeswoman Jane Feldman told Eyewitness News the construction delay has been worth it, because it has forced the Federal Highway Administration to review -- and in this case -- change it's policies.

Feldman added, "Highways found that basically the state of the science isn't such that any kind of information useful to a decision maker could be provided."

In January, Federal Highway Administration attorney Stephanie Tai admitted before the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals it didn't conduct any scientific testing before approving the US-95 expansion, relying instead on recommendations from the Environmental Protection Agency.

On Monday, FHA Director Mary Peters told Eyewitness News this settlement requires them to perform their own tests here in Las Vegas. "What we're doing in this settlement is giving ourselves collectively the opportunity to learn more and study that together."

The new tests will involve air monitoring at three schools along the expansion corridor: Western High School, Adcock Elementary and Ruth Fyfe Elementary.

"Here in Southern Nevada, Clark County is the government body responsible for air quality." The schools lie in the district of Clark County Commissioner Lynette Boggs McDonald.

Boggs McDonald told Eyewitness News all three schools will also be fitted with air filtration systems. That's something the Sierra Club applauds but it will cost the state about $3 million -- money the federal government may reimburse to us.

Also part of this agreement, Clark County School District school buses will also be retrofitted with cleaner exhaust systems.

It's expected that road construction will begin again in earnest by November 2005 with a completion date of August 2007.

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Senators Harry Reid and John Ensign worked together to bring both parties to the table to talk about a solution. In interviews given to Eyewitness News by both of the senators' offices, the two said they are pleased that the sides could agree so that the project could move forward.

Senator Ensign had included an amendment to the Senate transportation bill that would have disposed of the lawsuit.