Roop Street intersection waiting for green light (and red, and yellow)

Wal-Mart shoppers will be waiting until June for the opening of a west side entrance into the supercenter, to be located off a reconfigured Roop Street and Hot Springs Road intersection.

Carson City Engineer Larry Werner said signal lights are to blame for the delay.

"The problem is that it took a while to get it designed and there is a huge wait time on getting traffic signal equipment," he said.

The design was completed in the first part of December, which was when the traffic signals were ordered. The delivery isn't slated until June for an intersection that looks nearly completed.

The design reconfigures where Hot Springs Road meets Roop Street. Hot Springs Road on the east side of Roop Street will remain abandoned. Retail Way will empty into the west side of the Wal-Mart parking lot, alongside commercial development under construction. The traffic light at the intersection now will be eliminated. The entire intersection will be reconfigured to the new signal.

The main section of Hot Springs Road starts at Carson Street and ends at Roop.

Wal-Mart Store Manager Scott Yoder said the new intersection will benefit shoppers who want to avoid traffic on East College Parkway, the main entrance for the supercenter.

"It will make traffic flow a little smoother and make accessibility to the building easier," he said Thursday.

A bus stop is also planned for Retail Way.

-- Contact reporter Becky Bosshart at bbosshart@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1212.