After compromising with Arizona and federal government officials, the Nevada Department of Transportation announced plans to temporarily ban some trucks from U.S. 93 in Boulder City.
The new rules will only reroute large southbound trucks on U.S. 93 during construction times.

The opening last fall of the new Mike O'Callaghan-Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge as part of the Hoover Dam Bypass created traffic backups in Boulder City where U.S. 93 narrows to one lane, prompting city leaders to call for a ban of truck traffic until the Boulder City Bypass can be built.

Prior to the bridge opening, trucks had been rerouted through Laughlin rather than going over the Hoover Dam, adding cost and time to the trip for commercial truckers.

Nevada officials announced in February an accelerated construction plan to widen the existing U.S. 93 through Boulder City while they wait for funds to build the Boulder City Bypass, a new freeway around the city. The Legislature has since passed a bill that would allow a private company to build the freeway as a toll road.

However, Boulder City officials were adamant that trucks needed to be kept off the route while it was under construction. Under the compromise, certain over-dimensional vehicles will be kept out of the construction zone.

Once construction starts, three-axle, super loads, annual permitees, five-day permitees and LCD trucks will be banned from the work zone on southbound U.S. 93, between Buchannan Boulevard and the Hoover Dam interchange.

In addition, all trucks and other commercial vehicles exceeding 26,000 pounds gross vehicle weight will be restricted during peak traffic periods, normally from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

Project Manager Tony Lorenzi said the restrictions would only be in effect for southbound traffic because most of the construction will be in the southbound lanes and the northbound side of the road has more room for construction.

The transportation department also agreed to not enforce the truck ban during the annual River Regatta celebration in Bullhead City, from Aug. 11 to 13.

The project, and the truck rules, are expected to begin in late July and be complete by late fall, hopefully in time for holiday traffic, officials said.

The Nevada Highway Patrol and Boulder City Police will be enforcing the rules, and the transportation department will use dynamic message signs to alert drivers of the rules.