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By Amanda Hammon, Appeal staff writer

Money saved in the construction of the Edmonds Drive roundabout will help landscape its center.

John Flansberg, street operations manager, said landscaping wasn't included in the project because of its initial cost. With the savings, however, Flansberg said city staff decided to allocate $10,000 to landscaping. Flansberg said with approval from the Carson City Regional Transportation Commission, he plans on asking for at least three proposals to design and construction of the project. A committee of city streets and park staff and members of the RTC will form a committee to set the design parameters for the landscaping.

Supervisor Jon Plank, chairman of the RTC, said he supports the idea of landscaping the roundabout to "really finish the project." He said it won't be landscaped with any material that will block the view through the roundabout. The edges leading into the roundabout will be landscaped as well.

About $13,000 was saved during construction of the $193,000 roundabout and it is this money officials plan to use for landscaping. The device was finished in August and is outfitted for landscaping.

RTC commissioners will also review the preliminary design for the Curry Street expansion project. Flansberg said the project is about 30 percent designed, and commissioners will have to look at two different alternatives to skirt C Hill. Curry Street runs south from Tenth Street around the base of C Hill, and Flansberg said one of the challenges of the project is widening the street around the hill.

Project engineers Lumos and Associates have two proposals for commissioners on how to deal with the tight space for the estimated $1.8 million expansion. The plan is to widen Curry Street to three-lanes, two for travel and one turning lane, as well as bike lanes. Flansberg said one way to deal with the lack of space is to build retaining walls, which could substantially raise the price of the project an estimated $1 million, Flansberg said. The second alternative is to chip further into the west side of C Hill.

The project isn't slated for construction until 2003 or 2004.

City officials and consultants are also looking at how the proposed restriping of South Carson Street could affect traffic on Curry Street. Commissioners will also hear a presentation from the Nevada Department of Transportation on its preliminary plan to restripe South Carson Street from two to three lanes to help increase the flow of traffic. Businesses along the southerly Highway 395 route expressed concerns about the proposed project, Flansberg said in a chamber of commerce transportation board meeting Tuesday.

Flansberg said chamber member issues ranged from loss of space for right turns to the effect on landscaping.

The state's preliminary plan is to add a third southbound lane from Fairview Drive to Highway 50 East and an extra northbound lane from the Highway 50 interchange to Stewart Street as part of next summer's planned $975,000 repaving of South Carson Street.

IF YOU GO

What: Carson City Regional Transportation meeting

When: Today, 5:30 p.m.

Where: Carson City Community Center's Bonanza Room, 851 E. William St.