Crashes, ‘Main Event’ create hellish commute in Las Vegas
Construction associated with Project Neon’s “Main Event” and a pair of crashes on U.S. Highway 95 northbound and southbound combined to create a hellish commute early Wednesday.
A fatal crash on southbound Highway 95 early Wednesday at Rainbow Boulevard caused serious delays. The Nevada Highway Patrol reported the rollover crash at 4:45 a.m.
The Regional Transportation Commission tweeted at 7:50 a.m. that the highway was reopened but that eastbound Summerlin Parkway remained closed while the Nevada Highway Patrol investigated. The crash was cleared by 9 a.m., the Nevada Department of Transportation tweeted.
One person was killed in the crash and another was critically injured, Trooper Travis Smaka said. The Clark County coroner’s office identified the woman who died as 23-year-old Megan Ann Hicks.
The Highway Patrol tweeted that the two were not wearing seatbelts and that investigators believe marijuana and alcohol impairment were factors in the crash.
Meanwhile, a rollover crash on northbound U.S. 95 about a mile south of Charleston Boulevard reduced traffic to one lane and created a miles-long backup. No major injuries were reported, according to the Highway Patrol. At 9:45, traffic cameras showed the area had been cleared.
The accidents added to pressure on major routes through Las Vegas, as the “Main Event,” the third and “most impactful” round of closures as Project Neon, the $1 billion reconfiguration of the Spaghetti Bowl interchange, entered its third day.
Morning commuters crawled in both directions of the Spaghetti Bowl interchange as I-15 was reduced to three lanes between Sahara Avenue and Alta Drive as part of a round of restrictions expected to last through Nov. 20.
Contact Max Michor at 702-383-0365 or mmichor@reviewjournal.com. Follow @MaxMichor on Twitter.
