Delays expected at Roop intersection

Commuters can expect major delays at the Roop Street and Hot Springs Road intersection when work starts Monday on the new west-side entrance into Wal-Mart.

Harvey Brotzman, Regional Transportation senior engineer, said Wednesday that the 16,000-20,000 commuters who use the intersection daily should try to avoid it until Aug. 15.

"Expect delays," he said. "Avoid the area if you can."

Once completed, Wal-Mart shoppers will have another entrance into the supercenter, which is expected to take some traffic off a busy East College Parkway.

Roop Street and Hot Springs Road will be blocked off in phases, narrowing traffic to one lane in both directions. Roads will be narrowed starting at 8 a.m. for 10-12 hours. Some weekend work is expected.

"We're trying to minimize the duration by having long work days," Brotzman said.

In the first phase, a 1,200-foot stretch of the east side of Roop Street will be blocked off for repaving, starting at Northridge Drive. Of that stretch, a 500-foot portion of the road starting at Basque Way will be reconstructed and repaved.

In the second phase, the west side of Roop will be closed just past the intersection to Basque Way for reconstruction and repaving. A 300-foot section of Hot Springs Road will also be redone.

The four-month project includes several "marathon weekends," which means the intersection will be closed for the entire weekend. These dates will depend on the progress of the work.

Workers will move the curve of where Hot Springs Road meets Roop Street farther south. They will also remove the intersection island. These improvements will expand the intersection for more traffic, Brotzman said.

Many drivers are confused by the abandonment of Hot Springs Road on the east side of Roop Street and still pull into the roadway, despite the blockade. This road will not be reopened. A portion of the road, renamed Retail Drive, comes off East College Parkway and takes drivers into the Wal-Mart parking lot.

The intersection will have four crosswalks, including one for the drive that empties into the west side of the Wal-Mart parking lot. New lights and video cameras will be installed at each corner.

Carson City Engineer Larry Werner said Wal-Mart is covering the cost of the reconfigured intersection because of an agreement the retailer had made with the city.

The Carson City Wal-Mart store manager could not be reached for comment. The contractor for the project is Northern Nevada Excavation.

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