LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — I've said it before, and I'll say it again: Few things make Las Vegas locals lose their cool faster than road construction.
Especially the kind that starts, then mysteriously pauses — like someone hit the "snooze" button for two months — leaving lanes closed, streets torn up, or cones guarding empty asphalt.
This story began with one frustrated homeowner who just wanted to know what the deal was with the street in front of his house — especially after cars driving over metal plates kept jolting him awake at night.
WATCH | Darcy Spears works to get answers for a Las Vegas homeowner who asked, "What's the deal?"
A massive hole stretched across the street where Michael Braecklein lives in a neighborhood near Jones Boulevard and Alta Drive. The Las Vegas Valley Water District dug up the asphalt back in February — then laid down metal plates spanning the entire road.
"Depending on how you hit them, you either get a little noise or a lot," Michael said, explaining that it gets louder at night when cars barrel through like they’re auditioning for "Fast & Furious."
"We have been approved for speed cushions to slow down the traffic," he said.
The metal plates had been sitting there for two months with almost no action during most of that time. So, Michael decided to take action.
"I'm going to send an email off to Darcy Spears. She works wonders," he said.
In his email, he asked, "Darcy, what's the deal with the water district tearing up our street in February, then vanishing without finishing the job?"
Lo and behold, just days after I reached out, the Water District snapped back into gear, securing the plates to quiet things down while wrapping up a project that turned out to be bigger than they bargained for.
So, what's the deal? It started as a leaky valve. "Easy fix," they thought. But once they dug in, they discovered the lateral line connecting the hydrant to the water main was old cast iron and needed swapping out for PVC.
The hydrant itself needed replacing, too.
Then, crews got pulled for more urgent jobs, leaving Michael's street on the back burner until my email bumped it back to the top of the to-do list.
As of April 16, after nearly two months of nothing, the work was done in a matter of days.
Now, all that's left is to let the temporary asphalt patch cure — at least six weeks while the soil settles — before they come back with the final patch.
If you have an issue you'd like me to look into, send an email to 13investigates@ktnv.com or leave a tip through our "Darcy, What's the Deal?" web form.
