Project to improve roads in Lake Mead recreation area
The roads at Lake Mead National Recreation Area are undergoing an almost $5 million upgrade.
The project involves 75 miles of roads and will include cleaning, patching, resurfacing and remarking of the roads and some parking areas from the northern end of the park to Willow Beach in Arizona.
According to Chelsea Kennedy, public affairs specialist for the park, no roads will be closed during the project.
“During construction, visitors may experience short delays along the roadways, and parking areas may be closed for a limited time,” she said.
Kennedy said the work is scheduled to take place on weekdays during daylight hours through the middle of December, and once it’s completed, the improvements will enhance the visitor experience and meet the park’s maintenance needs.
The roads, in the order they are being improved, are: Northshore Road from mileposts 20.6 to 27.3 and 33-34.1; Echo Bay access road, parking lots and upper campground roads; Callville Bay access road, parking lots and campground road; Lakeshore Road from Lake Mead Parkway to milepost 5.4; Las Vegas Bay access road and campground road; Las Vegas Bay, 33 Hole and Sunset View overlooks; Boulder Harbor access road; roads in and around Boulder Beach and special events beach; Lake Mead RV Village access road; Hemenway Harbor access road; Historic Railroad Trail parking lot; Lake Mead Visitor Center parking lot; Willow Beach entrance station and all roads and parking lots from the kayak beach to the fish hatchery, including the campground; and two overlooks in Arizona along U.S. Highway 93.
The project is being paid for with funds from the Lake Mead National Recreation Area cyclic maintenance fund and the Federal Lands Transportation Program. California contractor VSS International Inc. is doing the work.
Contact reporter Celia Shortt Goodyear at cgoodyear@bouldercityreview.com or at 702-586-9401. Follow her on Twitter @csgoodyear.
Park Service seeks comments about road repair plan
The National Park Service is seeking public comments as part of its environmental assessment to improve a portion of Willow Beach Road that is within a wash and prone to repeat flash flooding.
In cooperation with the Federal Highway Administration, the Park Service is proposing to repair the deteriorated road, which has reached the end of its life. The plan calls to create a safe and sustainable route that is resilient to flood damage and cost effective to maintain.
The road takes people to the Willow Beach marina from U.S. Highway 93.
Comments regarding the proposal will be accepted through Sept. 19. They can be submitted by mail to Lake Mead National Recreation Area, ATTN: Planning and Compliance Office, 601 Nevada Way, Boulder City, NV 89005 or online at http://parkplanning.nps.gov/LAKE.
After the comments are reviewed, the Park Service will prepare an environmental assessment, which will be available for a 30-day public review.
