LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman hasn't been shy in recent years calling for improvements to be made to Interstate 15 between Las Vegas and the Los Angeles area.
She's certainly not going to start now, following a weekend of traffic gridlock on the expressway after a truck carrying lithium batteries crashed and caught fire.
"This was catastrophic, in my opinion," Goodman said Monday morning, from her office in downtown Las Vegas.
Numerous drivers were stranded for hours upon hours as emergency officials decided to let the dangerous lithium battery fire burn for safety purposes.
The result was a weekend-long backup, which stalled commerce and delayed or ruined some plans for a fun Las Vegas weekend.
"This was intolerable," Goodman said. "Can you imagine being without food and water with your family in your car? Without medicines for people who are sick? What about when your gas runs out or your battery dies and you're in this heat? Who's going to help?"
WATCH: Full interview with Mayor Carolyn Goodman
Goodman has long wanted the I-15 widened. For long stretches of desert freeway now, there are only two lanes each way, meaning a crash or some other type of disruption can cause long delays.
"After all these years, and us asking our Nevada Department of Transportation to do their best, I just can't believe it," Goodman said. "I have the same message I've had all these years [to California leaders]. It's time to take care of Barstow to the Nevada state line. It's what should have been done a long time ago."
Goodman isn't the only elected official in Southern Nevada calling for change. On Monday, Rep. Dina Titus also said more needs to be done.
She says a proposed high-speed rail line from Las Vegas to Victorville, Calif., would help and that more regulation might be needed for trucks that carry hazardous materials, like lithium batteries.
"I'm a senior member of transportation and infrastructure, so I'll look at it when I get back [to Washington, D.C.]," Titus said. "We don't go back until after Labor Day but I want to see what's going on then."
Before you go on any trips, officials have the following tips for how you can prepare before hitting the road.
- Pack plenty of water, supplies, and gas
- Proceed with caution on alternate routes
- Have a portable charger for your phone
