Nevada’s roads in good shape but need upgrades

in need of repair by NDOT, along with a section of Sahara Avenue between Rancho and Paradise roads.

In the midst of those rough roads, construction is underway on Project Neon, the $1 billion effort to redesign and add traffic lanes along Interstate 15 from the U.S. 95 interchange to Sahara Avenue.

“NDOT believed the best location to spend our funds is at our busiest interchange in the state — the Las Vegas Spaghetti Bowl and areas south,” NDOT spokesman Tony Illia said.

NDOT’s bridges were ranked the best nationwide for a fourth consecutive year, according to an analysis released last year by the American Road and Transportation Builders Association.

Of the 2,008 bridges maintained or receiving assistance from NDOT, only 31 are considered to be in poor condition but a $133 million shortfall for upgrades means they may not be getting all needed improvements.

“We utilize federal and state transportation funding to make important enhancements to keep Nevada’s bridges the nation’s best and, most importantly, to keep Nevada motorists safe on our bridges,” NDOT Director Rudy Malfabon said in a prepared statement.

Federal laws require all bridges, freeway overpasses and other structures to undergo assessments at least once every two years. This led to $17 million in repairs for 27 bridges across Nevada in 2015 and 2016, NDOT offi-

CHASE STEVENS/ LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL @CSSTEVENSPHOTO Traffic moves Friday beneath U.S. Highway 95 along Eastern Avenue. Roughly 122,400 vehicles travel daily across the bridge, according to NDOT’s list of spans in need of repair.