Bypass focus of meeting

As the Boulder City bypass inches closer to breaking ground, residents will have the opportunity to ask questions and voice their concerns on the latest updates at a Sept. 18 town hall meeting.

The informal meeting will be from 4:30-6:30 p.m. at the Elaine K. Smith Center Building, 700 Wyoming St.

Representatives from City Hall, Chamber of Commerce, Nevada Transportation Department and Regional Transportation Commission will be on hand to address any concerns residents may have, according to city officials.

City Manager Dave Fraser said since each department will have its own table, those who want to attend don’t have to be there at 4:30 p.m.

“It’s important for people to understand that it’s an open house format. You don’t have to be there when it starts,” he said.

Two main concerns that will be addressed will be the commission’s findings from its asbestos study and the effect construction will have on local businesses.

The asbestos delayed the project by several months, and Public Works Director Scott Hansen said several residents have called City Hall to voice their concerns.

“The public has had a lot of calls and concerns if there is a public health concern with this project,” Hansen said. “I expect NDOT and RTC to answer that question at the meeting.”

Sue Christiansen, commission spokeswoman, said it received the results from its asbestos study a few weeks ago.

“We will have info on those results and our plans moving forward,” she said.

Christiansen said there will be information on the potential cost for the bypass from contractors bidding on the project. There are three contractors working on proposals, which are due by mid-October, Christiansen said.

Other topics to be discussed include proposed signage along the bypass for local businesses interested in advertising, a timeline for construction and the potential name change for the segment of U.S. Highway 93 that runs through Boulder City.

Hansen added that the business outlook will be a crucial point, especially when it comes to Boulder City attracting more people to town during construction.

“One of my concerns is that the exit for the interstate is pretty far from the front door of the businesses compared to your drive to Las Vegas,” Hansen said. “In Boulder City, the restaurants are a couple of miles down the road (from the exit), instead of being adjacent to the exit like in Las Vegas.”

Fraser said this won’t be the last meeting before construction begins, but he and Hansen encourage those at the meeting to ask as many questions as they have.

“This is the Interstate 11 project. The public should be able to ask any question they want to ask,” Hansen said.

Contact reporter Steven Slivka at sslivka@bouldercityreview.com or at 702-586-9401. Follow @StevenSlivka on Twitter.