Residents of several Lyon County communities will face some traffic delays due to three major construction projects either under way or about to begin.
"Lyon County is going to have a busy year," said Scott Magruder, spokesman for the Nevada Department of Transportation. "There's going to be some minor delays, not a lot, but in the construction areas there should definitely be some minor delays."
In Mound House and Dayton, a $14.3 million contract has been awarded to Road and Highway Builders of Reno for a paving project on U.S. Highway 50 between Highway 341, the turnoff to Virginia City, and Fortune Drive. Then the road will be widened from Fortune Drive to Chavez Road.
"From two lanes going to four lanes, that's the big part of the project," Magruder said. "The paving will start this year, then we'll have to shut down for winter."
He said the paving will begin in about a month, but the widening won't be done until next year. The whole project is expected to be completed in fall of 2006.
Dayton resident Jerry Liggett doesn't believe the work is necessary.
"I don't know why they're doing this," he said. "There's only one very tiny area that's even broken out, right at the foot of the incline going up to Mound House."
Though the work will cause some inconvenience for him, Liggett, who works the swing shift in Virginia City, said it will affect others more.
"I don't see how anyone at rush hour is going to go anyplace," he said. "It'll affect other people worse than me because I don't go in at the normal time."
Magruder said the reason for the work is to avoid major reconstruction later.
"A lot of times we do this as preventative maintenance, so that you get it in time and you don't have to do a complete reconstruction," he said. "The engineers decided it would need resurfacing."
Another large undertaking, also awarded to Road and Highway Builders, is a $3.8 million resurfacing project on several roads in Yerington and surrounding areas.
U.S. 95A will be resurfaced from Nordyke Road south of Yerington about 12 miles north to just past the railroad crossings in Wabuska.
Repaving will also be done on SR 208 from South Street to 95A, and Bridge Street from Nordyke Road to Main Street.
The Yerington area projects will get under way next week and be completed by the fall, according to Magruder.
A roundabout will be installed at the intersection of 95A and 50A in Fernley as part of a project that began several weeks ago and will last until fall of 2006, said Magruder.
"We are basically realigning and widening the intersection of 95A and 50A, from the corner to Fremont Street." he said. "The roundabout will be a very wide roundabout, allowing for turns and for trucks to be able to maneuver out there."
The $12.5 million contract for the roundabout project went to Granite Construction Co. and it also involves replacing one of the bridges over the railroad.
NDOT is also working on the Truckee Canal Bridge on U.S. 95A, Magruder said. "That's underway and should be done by the end of next year," he said.
A $3 million contract also awarded to Granite Construction Co. The undertaking involves constructing a new steel girder bridge and reconstructing existing roadway.
"It doesn't look like this one will affect traffic," Magruder said. "If it does, it should be very minor."
n Contact reporter Karen Woodmansee at kwoodmansee@nevadaappeal.com.