Titus, mayor tout project

Saying that “businesses are the lifeblood of our community,” Mayor Joe Hardy helped lead a brief press conference Friday to discuss work to be done as part of Phase II of the Nevada Way Reconstruction Project.

The project is being funded by the Regional Transportation Commission (RTC).

Hardy was joined by Congresswoman Dina Titus, whose district includes Boulder City, RTC’s Deputy CEO Andrew Kjellman, the rest of the city council as well as city officials and invited guests, who were on hand for the event, which was hosted by the Stevens family, owners of Coffee Cup Café.

“Today we are celebrating an important milestone — $850,000 in new investment for downtown Boulder City,” Kjellman said. “This investment will go toward Phase II of the Nevada Way Reconstruction Project. This investment was secured by Congresswoman Dina Titus and will build on this Phase I investment that is behind you today.”

That work included widening of the sidewalks on both sides between Wyoming and Arizona streets as well as reconfiguring parking on Nevada Way and Wyoming, in addition to replacing outdated underground utilities. Construction was completed last summer.

Phase II will rehabilitate Nevada Way from Wyoming Street to Park Street through the downtown area and reconstruct Park Street from Nevada Way to Colorado Street/Utah Street. The rehabilitation will repave, restripe, and replace deteriorating asphalt on the roadway.

The improvements include raised crosswalks with pedestrian-activated flashing beacons. The project also includes upgrades to ADA and pedestrian access, especially where sidewalks and ramps are currently limited.

“There were a lot of questions in the beginning as to how this was going to turn out,” Public Works Director Gary Poindexter said of the first phase. “But in the end, it all really came together and is about 95% done.”

Poindexter said Tuesday that a start date has yet to be determined and won’t be until the RTC funds are relinquished to the city. He also said work will be done during a period to avoid any large community events and be as least disruptive to businesses in the area as possible.

Once the funds are in the hands of the city, the project will go out to bid, with final approval from city council.

Titus explained the importance of this busy corridor through Boulder City.

“This came from you (funding request) and when you came to me about it, I was more than happy to put in and advocate for this funding because it can make such a difference,” she said. “You’ve heard several people call it an investment and that’s exactly what it is. It’s not an expenditure. It is an investment into this community.

“Nevada Way is more than just a street. It’s a historic connection. It’s a place where people go for business, a place to gather, a place to eat, to shop. It really is the heart of the community. So, anything we can do to make it more accessible, and make it safer, while trying to do the least amount of disruption along the way, is a huge success.”