HENDERSON (KTNV) — Heads up Henderson residents — the City of Henderson is looking for your feedback about the future of Lake Mead Parkway!
It's one of the most important roads in Henderson, and for the last several weeks, the city has been promoting their "Lake Mead Parkway Corridor Study," with questions like "Why do you use Lake Mead Parkway?" and "What improvements do you want to see?"
WATCH | City of Henderson looking for feedback on future of Lake Mead Parkway
Lake Mead Parkway between the Henderson Bowl and Lake Las Vegas is one of the busiest stretches in Henderson, and as that part of the valley continues to grow, Henderson locals say they've seen more and more congestion there over the years.
"The more time that passes, the more crowded it gets," said Henderson local Hugo Estrada.
"We deal with it, you know what I mean?" Henderson local Gary Ota said. "If we have to go somewhere, that's the route."
Backups are common on Lake Mead Parkway, but locals say they're used to planning for it.
"I leave early, and sometimes with appointments I just give it enough time to get to the location," Ota said.
Still though, many locals think some changes could make their commutes a little easier.
"Probably wider lanes, but I don't know if there's enough space to do that," Estrada said.
But what exactly is a "feasibility study," and does this mean we can expect more roadwork on Lake Mead Parkway soon?
Those are questions Channel 13 took right to Henderson's City Engineer Steve Conner in a late-February interview.
"The Lake Mead Parkway Feasibility Study is the City of Henderson looking at the Nevada Department of Transportation's road for ways to alleviate congestion," Conner said.
Basically, the City of Henderson is looking for ways to make the road smoother for drivers, pedestrians and cyclists, and Conner says everything is on the table.
"For us, it's just a study," Conner said. "We're looking at possibly widening lanes, maybe grade separations, but in the end we'll provide our recommendations to NDOT and it'll be their decision on how they can improve their roadway."
Conner says they see about 60,000 cars a day on Lake Mead Parkway, and with such high usage, they really want to hear from residents about what they'd like to see done in the future — even taking social media to answer some frequently asked questions in the community.
Henderson's study is a year long, but beyond that, Conner says there isn't a firm construction timeline in place and they're not expecting anything to happen in the near future.
"I still feel that we're over five years away from any kind of construction," Conner said.
Channel 13 asked Conner what he'd say to residents who'd say work on Lake Mead Parkway needs to start right now to alleviate congestion that's already there during the morning and afternoon commutes.
"We agree," Conner responded. "What the city does is we kickstart the idea, then we give it to the Department of Transportation, and at that point it's on them for how they proceed."
So, in the meantime, some locals say it'll just be business as usual on Lake Mead Parkway.
"It doesn't bother me," Henderson local Gary Ota said. "I just plan ahead, that's how I deal with it."
The last day of Henderson's "Lake Mead Parkway Corridor Study" is Sunday March 15 — that means if you live in Henderson and you want to make your voice heard, you've still got time!
You can participate in the online survey on the City of Henderson's website by clicking here.
Do you have questions or concerns about the roadways you travel on? Reach out to me at Guy.Tannenbaum@ktnv.com, or by clicking on the banner below.
