CARSON CITY -- In order to help gamblers find their way into Las Vegas casinos more quickly, the state Transportation Board on Tuesday agreed to spend $10 million to help California widen a stretch of Interstate 15 leading to Southern Nevada.
"We have to keep the tourists flowing," said Lt. Gov. Lonnie Hammargren, shortly before the board voted 6-1 to contribute Nevada funds to a $140 million project to widen a 28-mile stretch of I-15 from four to six lanes between Victorville and Barstow.
Tom Stephens, director of the Nevada Department of Transportation, told the board that a bottleneck where interstates 40 and 15 merge impacts the Las Vegas tourist economy. Nevada's contribution will encourage California lawmakers to push harder for the road project, he said.
According to Stephens, there is an extra $24 million for the widening project in the Highway Authorization Act currently in front of Congress. He said Rep. John Ensign, R-Nev., was able to allocate $4 million to add to the project from his portion of funds parceled out to congressmen for their districts.
When Transportation board member the Rev. Caesar Caviglia questioned whether Nevada could allocate its roads funding to another state, Chief Deputy Attorney General Brian Hutchins said in 1992 Nevada allocated $3 million to build an interchange in Barstow.
The lone dissenting vote came from Controller Darrel Daines, who wanted to know how much the casino industry was chipping in for the road project. Department officials said there was nothing in the present funding formula to allow the gaming business to contribute to the project.
However, after the meeting, Garth Dull, a former state transportation director who is now a consultant for casinos on the Las Vegas Strip, said the Las Vegas gaming interests have put up more than $10 million toward the project so far.
Casino owners are committed to relocating utilities and railroad tracks for up to $3 million outside the government costs. He said the gaming industry paid for lobbying efforts to secure extra money for the project and is spending $8 million for an Amtrak subsidy to help keep railroad fares to Las Vegas low and thus help keep the highway less congested.
The board also heard:
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