Mount Charleston Will Soon Be Back To Normal
Tropical Storm Hilary dumped a lot of rain in Las Vegas this past August. It left roads, homes and the terrain at Mount Charleston in shambles.
Good news — life on Mount Charleston will soon be easier and somewhat back to normal. A relief for everyone that are residents of the mountain, and those anxious to get back to their hiking (myself included) – and soon, skiing.
Mount Charleston Getting Back To Normal
It’s been two months now since Hilary dumped buckets of rain on Mount Charleston and destroyed roads and homes. We always need the rain in the desert, but Mt. Charleston isn’t as equipped for it like other places are. One highway up, lots of forest, not a lot of services.
Roads are reopening, residents have water again. That was a luxury for some, because they had to boil water for a while. And a ban on visiting most of the area will be lifted. But there is still a little ways to go before things are completely normal.
KLAS Channel 8 is reporting that State Route 157, or Kyle Canyon Road, will reopen on Friday, Nov. 3. State Route 158, or Deer Creek Road, will reopen on Nov. 10. All weather permitting, of course.
The Cost Of Repairs
The cost for road repairs at Mount Charleston are coming in at $11 million But District Engineer Mario Gomez said that roads won’t wash away as easily next time there is a major storm.
Reinforcements and upgrades have been made, and sewer pipes twice the size of the originals have been replaced with much larger ones. Large boulders will now also line the shoulders, making it much safer.
Many Mount Charleston residents have been living with limited water and no heat. I’m sure it will be a relief for them to see a little normalcy once again.