Problem-prone Las Vegas Strip escalators to be replaced

Mon, Sep 14, 2015 (8:30 p.m.)

Broken escalators on the Las Vegas Strip could soon be a thing of the past.

The Nevada Department of Transportation board voted Monday to approve a $35 million deal with California-based Whiting-Turner Contracting Co. The money will help replace 16 escalators that allow crowds of pedestrians to reach bridges and safely cross the famous boulevard.

It will also go toward aesthetic and structural improvements to the bridges.

The escalators were built in the early 1990s, but the manufacturer is no longer producing parts and replacements must be custom-made. Transportation officials say there are also safety hazards due to leaks in the equipment rooms.

Clark County has agreed to maintain the escalators after the overhaul.

The escalators are often out of service, forcing tourists to climb stairs to the bridges.

Gov. Brian Sandoval said there are millions of people who use the facilities and “we don’t want this breaking down in 110-degree heat.”

Sun reporter Cy Ryan contributed to this report.

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