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2010 Top 10 Nominee “The project was exemplary in so many ways: Partnering with our contractors, implementing ‘outside-of-the-box’ strategies, and communicating well with the public made this project a huge success–and one that we are very proud of.” Susan Martinovich Due to highly effective planning, continuous and dedicated partnering, and implementing “outside of the box” strategies, the Nevada Department of Transportation was able to successfully complete the state’s first design-build project a remarkable 20 months early. Interstate 15, the main north/south traffic artery through the Las Vegas Valley, is travelled by more than 170,000 cars daily and is the lifeline for 75 percent of southern Nevada goods movements. It was selected a “Corridor of the Future” by the U.S. DOT because it offered numerous opportunities to relieve congestion, improve mobility, and support economic growth. Built in the 1960s, the corridor was showing signs of serious disrepair and was no longer adequate for the ever-growing city of Las Vegas. NDOT initiated the design-build project to help bring congestion relief and improve traffic flow quickly and more efficiently than traditional construction methods. The initial construction strategy was a three-phase plan that maintained three lanes of traffic in each direction throughout the highway reconstruction. NDOT decided to implement an aggressive new two-phased plan that delivered the project eight months ahead of schedule by reducing travel lanes to two in each direction. The project added up to four much-needed lanes to the vital corridor just north of the Las Vegas Strip. Ramps at four interchanges were reconstructed, along with certain bridge structures. Lighting, landscaping, sound walls and intelligent transportation systems were also enhanced. Once complete, all four planned phases of the $250-million project are estimated to save 25 million travel hours and eliminate 150 car crashes each year. |
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America's Transportation Awards 