Transport unit to deal with median on Fairview Drive

The city’s Regional Transportation Commission will begin dealing with a safety median plan for Fairview Drive from Carson to Roop streets next month, according to Carson City Transportation Manager Patrick Pittenger.Pittenger told Carson City RTC members Wednesday he expects at their Feb. 13 meeting to bring forward the item, now in early stages, for a median in the aftermath of heightened traffic flow coming off or heading toward the new freeway to the east.After the meeting, he said cost of the median is anticipated at $120,000 with 95 percent of that coming from federal safety funds through the Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT).He also said the median, to help handle increased traffic and traffic hazards on Fairview, likely would allow left turns just east of Q’s BBQ and at Lowe’s Home Improvement.Traffic on Fairview increased when the freeway was constructed to that arterial street about 1.5 miles east of Roop Street. The boost sends a steady stream of vehicles westbound toward Carson Street, so left turns from eastbound lanes between traffic lights aren’t easy. There also was brief discussion during an earlier Wednesday Carson Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (CAMPO) meeting, just prior to the RTC session, that another freeway matter is on an NDOT meeting agenda next Monday.Officials at NDOT said, however, it is a mere formality. Spokesman Scott Magruder said the agenda item would accept the bid of just more than $9.5 million from Granite Construction Co. to build the Snyder Avenue overpass bridge, plus retaining wall, drainage and other items, in preparation for a freeway extension beneath the overpass. “We’re just kind of moving along and this is another phase,” Magruder said. While the bid action is “good news for Carson City” and the freeway extension is still a priority, Magruder said the project will take time given its $85 million cost estimate.In the city’s Wednesday RTC meeting, members voted without dissent for a final payment of $50,277.44 to A & K Earth Movers on the North Roop Street enhancement project near the Community Center. Commissioner Charles Desjardins expressed pleasure that $10,000 was saved in the process, a comment that staff said would be passed on to company officials.At the earlier CAMPO meeting on Wednesday, members voted without dissent to adopt a resolution and approve a cooperative agreement with NDOT that provides funding for the Unified Planning Work Program during federal fiscal year 2013.Members were told the federal consolidated planning grant funds amount to $464,847, slightly less than the more than $470,000 originally anticipated. A 5 percent local match comes from CAMPO member agencies.