‘It’s our lifeline’: Local politicians renew call for upgrades after I-15 debacle
Las Vegas Valley politicians renewed their calls for upgrades and improvements to Interstate 15 in California after this weekend’s traffic debacle.
After a truck hauling lithium batteries crashed Friday and caught fire, prompting a full closure on the northbound I-15 lanes that effectively turned a miles-long stretch of the main artery from Southern California to Las Vegas into a parking lot, valley politicians were quick to weigh in.
Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman, who has been a frequent critic of the lack of infrastructure improvements to I-15, reiterated her frustration over California’s lack of progress in improving the highway.
“While we look forward to a future that Brightline (the high-speed rail line being built between Southern California and Las Vegas) may provide for travelers from Barstow, California, to Stateline, Nevada, the work that should have begun years ago for the vehicular traffic on I-15 now is putting lives at risk as gridlock — with no shoulders — is being ignored,” Goodman said in a text message.
“Shame on Caltrans and California,” Goodman said, referring to the California Department of Transportation.
‘It’s our lifeline’
Clark County Commissioner Tick Segerblom called I-15 “our lifeline” because of the sheer number of visitors it brings from Southern California.
“Whatever it takes, we need to enhance, improve and protect I-15,” said Clark County Commissioner Tick Segerblom. “It’s our lifeline.”
Segerblom said that the problem is working with California. He said he hopes to find a way to help the state pay for another lane or anything else they might need. “Without I-15, we’re dead,” he said.
Building at least a third lane is a good start, Segerblom said, but he hopes that people can travel back and forth from California safely without having to spend hours in their vehicle.
“Over half of our tourism comes from California on that road,” Segerblom said. “This just highlights the urgency that we don’t just sit around and stick our heads in the sand.”
Segerblom worried that people stuck on the side of the road on Saturday could be in a life-threatening situation, given the triple-digit heat.
County Commissioner James Gibson said that while he has never been aware of a plan to build a new freeway, enabling more movement on I-15 is something the commission has been working on for a long time.
“It’s a real concern to have an accident like that and to have the traffic effectively cut out 30-plus percent of the people who would come to Las Vegas for the weekend,” Gibson said.
Gibson said that there wasn’t a timeline in place regarding possible improvements to Interstate 15.
Contact Estelle Atkinson at eatkinson@reviewjournal.com. Contact Richard N. Velotta at rvelotta@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3893. Follow @RickVelotta on X.