The Northeast 119th Street widening project is understood to also include moving the bed of Curtin Creek. If true, this should require a ton of permit writing and inspections. Who is paying the agencies for all of the time involved?
–Drew
Well, Drew, you are correct. This type of project does contain a significant amount of work with state and federal agencies, as well as the obtaining of a number of permits. Costs for this work are folded into the overall cost of the Northeast 119th Street project, public works spokesman Jeff Mize wrote in an email. The $19.3 million construction contract is with Rotschy Inc., a Clark County-based contractor, and funds are coming from a few different sources, such as grants, traffic impact fees and the County Road Fund, Mize said.
The project is part of a collaborative effort involving public agencies and private developers to improve Curtin Creek and enhance habitat for fish and other wildlife, and will create a meandering channel for about 2,000 feet of Curtin Creek. The county is required to do this sort of environmental enhancement as mitigation for disturbing wetlands for the Northeast 119th Street project.
Mize added that the project will turn a portion of Curtin Creek into a winding channel to more closely resemble a natural creek, which will help to “reduce erosion, decrease flooding, manage polluted storm(water) runoff, improve water quality and enhance wildlife habitat.” The project also calls for planting trees and other vegetation to shade the creek, which will cool the water for fish and other aquatic life.
