Plans In Place To Improve Safety On Boulder Highway After 2 Pedestrian Deaths

LAS VEGAS – In the last week, two pedestrians were hit and killed on Boulder Highway. The most recent occurred on New Year’s Eve. Alissa Morena, 33, was hit by a car as she jaywalked along Galleria Drive. The driver remained at the site and showed no signs of intoxication.

Manuel Esqueda Jr., 50, was murdered in a hit-and-run on the same stretch of Boulder Highway on Wednesday night. According to police, he was jaywalking. The motorist fled, but days later, police captured Carlos Lopez-Orellana, 70, on hit-and-run charges.

Boulder Highway has been dubbed Nevada’s deadliest road for pedestrians, but there are plans to make it safer.

“Specifically, it is not the safest area at night,” Zion Wandick, who has lived off Boulder near Russell for 17 years, said. It’s pretty uncommon to see someone crossing the street outside of a crosswalk while driving down Boulder Highway at night.

“Boulder Highway can be dark at times, and the speed is never monitored,” Wandick explained. I had a close pal… I was also hit by a car on Boulder Highway.”

On a map of pedestrian deaths in Clark County since 2017, dots form a visible line of mortality along Boulder Highway.

Boulder Highway was established in 1931 to connect Boulder City to Downtown Las Vegas during the construction of the Hoover Dam. It was a busy, colorful boulevard packed with casinos, motels, and other businesses. However, the extension of the US 95 motorway in the 1980s caused a standstill along the corridor. There is now a drive to revitalize it. The City of Henderson received roughly $40 million from the US Department of Transportation to improve safety for cars, bicyclists, and pedestrians, as well as lighting and drainage along the road.

The RTC has also released an image of how Boulder Highway might look in the future, with better street lighting, mid-block crossings, and transit stops running through the center. The redesigned Boulder Highway would also have new sidewalks on both sides of the road as well as buffered bike lanes. The cost of totally repaving the highway is expected to be $120 million. The Reimagine Boulder Highway project, which is currently in pre-construction, is set to begin next year.

Credits: Fox 5 Vegas