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By Amanda Hammon, Appeal staff writer

As the Carson City Board of Supervisors recently prepared to hear yet another presentation on the Carson City freeway, Supervisor Jon Plank reached up and placed a can of tuna on the edge of the dais in the Community Center's Sierra Room.

In 1996 when the city passed a 5-cent gas tax to help fund the first phase of the freeway, Plank was quoted as saying for the cost of one can of tuna fish each month, Carson residents could help fund the freeway.

The 5-cent-per-gallon increase in motor vehicle fuel taxes would be about $1.60 per month for each member of his family, Plank estimated.

"It's barely more than a can of tuna," he said in 1996.

His most recent reference to tuna came at the head of another round of discussions haggling over the freeway.

"I was sorry I didn't bring five cans, one for each of us," Plank said. "I meant to say we're paying our dues for the freeway. We've kept up our end of the deal.

"I might just keep bringing it as a reminder," Plank mused.

Four years after Plank's first can of tuna, work on bridges for the northern leg of the Carson bypass has begun. But city officials are frustrated that state officials seem to have brushed off Carson residents' commitment to the highway and every inch is a battle.

If there's anyone who has a right to be disappointed about the progress, or lack thereof, on the Carson City freeway, it's Marv Teixeira.

In his eight years as Carson City's mayor, Teixeira said, he went to 24 out of 32 State Transportation Board meetings. His attendance was better than some board members. He hounded them, looking for a solution to Carson City's traffic nightmare.

The gas tax was his idea, begat in a transportation board meeting when Attorney General Frankie Sue Del Papa asked Teixeira how his community was willing to participate to build the freeway.

"I am disappointed. And you know what? I feel responsible," Teixeira said. "Maybe in hindsight I should have hammered out every 'what if' and got a written commitment. I took a good faith commitment from them (NDOT staff). (The gas tax) wasn't a lot of money, but it was everything we had to give. To me, it was done under a partnership. If anyone should be in a partnership with the state, it's the capital city."

He said he took Nevada Department of Transportation representatives at their word that by 2006, Carson City would be home to a full-fledged freeway. While he is encouraged by the state's recent monetary commitment to Phase 2, he questions what happened to the entire freeway's priority.

"I was told point blank we could expect to be at Highway 50 East by no later than 2001," Teixeira said. "The whole bypass could be completed by 2006 - the dead worst scenario, by 2008. Now they won't get to 50 until 2004 and can't get to the other section by 2008. How have you done so far, NDOT? It's hard for me to understand what's going on."

As far as Teixeira's concerned, if things change and the state changes its mind about the freeway being completed by 2008 - the "dead worst scenario" - he thinks the city should stop paying the gas tax.

"All we bought with our $20 million is time," Teixeira said. "The state committed to the Carson City bypass in 1996. If in fact the bypass is not operational by, say, Nevada Day 2008, then Carson City has fulfilled its financial obligation to the state and the gas tax money goes back to to the people.

"If they miss the date, I think the money should stop. If they miss 2008, we shouldn't have to pay any more money. In 2006, the State Board of Transportation will be completely different. We have no guarantees down the road. The NDOT agreement should stipulate that. What may be implied or said hasn't been committed to paper."

The State Transportation Board meets Wednesday to discuss statewide funding priorities for 2001, which includes potential funding for both phases of the Carson City freeway. About $92 million of additional funding is scheduled for funding of Phase 1, which is estimated at $136 million. A recent state decision commits $35 million of state funding to Phase 2, the previously unfunded southern section of the Carson City freeway estimated to cost a total of $160 million.

Despite delays caused by the wandering skipper butterfly, wetlands and drainage concerns, construction on Phase 1 bridges began in April - the time Teixeira said state officials had said Phase 1 would be completed.

The first leg of the freeway is 3.8 miles, extending from Lakeview Hill to Highway 50 East. The northern half of the project was also split into two phases to expedite the work. Phase IA of the project includes the construction of bridges over College Parkway, Emerson Drive, Northgate Lane and Arrowhead Drive.

Phase 1B fills in the freeway between the bridges and includes bridges over Highway 395 North and Carmine Street. The design for Phase 1B is about 60 percent complete. Bids for Phase 1B of the freeway's northern leg should be posted in November 2001 with construction starting in February 2002 and ending in 2004.

The freeway's five-mile southern leg extends from Highway 50 east to the Spooner Summit Junction. Construction is expected to begin on the southern leg in 2003, and the state hasn't released a completion date.

FYI

Information for a February 1988 public meeting, signed by then-NDOT director Garth Dull, stated:

"We all know what traffic is like in Carson City today. In 1986, an average of 28,500 cars drove past the legislative complex on Carson Street everyday. In 20 years, the time we have to plan for in highway design and work, our projections show that traffic through Carson City will number some 35,000 vehicles per day on Carson Street. In addition, the freeway will carry about 50,000 cars per day, almost double the traffic there is through Carson City today. The 35,000 vehicles on Carson Street alone will be an increase of 22 percent, even after the freeway is in full operation. So you can see why a freeway will be needed."

The state's estimate was a bit off. A dozen years later Carson Street sees an average of 37,500 cars a day. Up to 43,000 cars a day travel some on sections of Carson Street daily.