The Los Angeles Times from Los Angeles, California • Page 376

Las Vegas New bridges keep visitors off streets By LARK ELLEN GOULD nership between the hotels in that locale and the county government. Whether other corners will follow with their own traffic innovations is still in debate. City planners are looking at the Flamingo Boulevard site for a second round of walkways. Plus, the Clark County Commission recently granted permission to build a $25 million monorail from the back of Bally's to the rear of the MGM Grand. "You have to appreciate the his- ii ii i i Pedestrian power seems to be taking hold on the Las Vegas Strip.

As of Memorial Day, pedestrians are able to claim their way with the road mostly by bypassing it. The city recently opened a series of four bridges over Las Vegas Boulevard to make sure traffic can flow without incident and people can get to the MGM Grand, Luxor, Excalibur, San Remo and Tropicana without having to stack up like corralled steers at each red light. The walkways are at the intersection of Tropicana and Las Vegas Boulevard where about 50,000 to 100,000 hoofers a day take escalators and bridges around an area fondly known by locals as "The New Fabulous Four Corners." (Each of the four facilities also has an elevator for wheelchair access.) It has been said that the bridges offer some of the best photo opportunities in the city if a snapshot of a lion's head, a Bavarian-style castle, a Caribbean village or a neon landscape are required. The "new" in the four corners, title refers to the original four-corner hot spot located two blocks north at Flamingo and Las Vegas boulevards where the mega-resorts of Bally's, Caesars Palace and the Flamingo Hilton meet. Now, the south end of the Strip is heating up.

The Mirage, in partnership with Gold Strike Resorts, announced plans for a new development on the south side of the Remo, Excalibur and Luxor. executive officer of MGM Grand. "People seem to like the walkways much more than we expected since we've had 90 usage of them even before closing the street access alternative. People consider them to be an attraction, especially since they offer the best places to photograph the lion and the castle." The $9 million in construction costs were paid for through a part it W1 among the MGM Grand, Tropicana, San the world's largest swimming pool, Nevada's only adventure theme park, the world's only swim-up blackjack table, a rare bird habitat and exotic wildlife walk, the world's largest hotel and largest casino, four mega-resorts and 14,000 hotel rooms. "The new four corners area is almost a destination in itself," says Robert Maxey, president and chief SUPER CELEBRATION PACKAGE TtirM days, bra nights room occommodations or Celtbrity loom (certain performonas not induded) $7.50 oR dot coupla 'Ccrtch A Rising Star odmissian (Sunday tnra Trwrsbay.

Drinlcs and aatuity not induded) Two meals aw person in the In Kitchen Bufftl (brunch only) or S5 dbcount in the Coffee Shop SifeaurrlperaiualeondTOerselecbwineirhar IdhA Steokhouse, Seasons or al Dente (subject to ovaaribifity reservations required) S25 table oonwmalchplay Free ertry in DoSy Slot Toumomerrl(S25 value) boo matchploy ($1 match on $2 ticket) Race Book Bonus ($2 off any $1 0 bet) OX aft merchandise 'n selected Bally's MoB Shops 6ratutty br baggage handting 1.800-671-1111 A It 8 I Mi ll 1 If IS 111 a tt Ballv's iW 00; it still Oaafta) doesn't! iury ui me suuui euu oi me oirip to enjoy the value of the area now," says Ira Sternberg, a spokesman for the Tropicana Hotel and Casino, a resort that once was the southernmost resort on the Las Vegas Strip. "In 1986 we were pretty much the only ones around here so we developed the hotel with an island theme to keep people out here," he says. "With the addition of the Excalibur, Luxor and MGM it has become a revitalized end of the Strip. We're getting people who have never been to Las Vegas before, and we're getting people who have been to Las Vegas but want to walk across the bridges, and we're getting people who want to see all the new developments." To welcome the surge in exposure, the Tropicana Hotel has undergone a number of its own enhancements, including the construction of a Caribbean village around the porte cochere; a wildlife walk of rare, exotic animals that Please see NEW. Pane 71 MurtJ-MIIUon Dollar Stage Production coitection, Specialty Restaurant the most x-i the best 188 Ve8a' Most Race Spor Book LOS ANGELES flMES CALEND.

t. I mi New bridges make it easy to travel former Dunes property, and Mirage owner Steve Wynn will soon reveal his next plan for a new luxury resort on the north end of the property, creating a "Miracle Mile" area between the former and new Fabulous Four Corners. Meanwhile, the new four cor-ners is not only the proud location of the only elevatorescalator walkways in the city, it is also the site of BALLY'S. LAS VEGAS i i i i i i i i i I VVou Don't flaveTo UVULMJUTU v- Like A ng ToBe .2,00 ueatea Like LMe, "ron our specialty restaurants and boundless viiTlofvnf tft "Sf Hfnghtltfeto our world femous automobile we promise service that would please discriminating Qf ilngs, alwas at valuionthecentertrlp toltaixp to to Mmo medkal clinic SV-Afcr 3535 LAS VEGAS BOUIEVARD SCK LAS VEGAS, NEVADA lilf flAAXIf till kU mtL. ll 11 i.

63 SUNDAY, JUNE J2, 1994.