Formula One fan fest Strip road impacts underway

Las Vegas Boulevard lane impacts tied to this weekend’s Formula One Las Vegas Grand Prix Fan Fest are underway.

The free all-day event takes place from 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Saturday in front of Caesars Palace and is highlighted by a live car run on the Strip.

Rolling curb lane closures along Las Vegas Boulevard North and South began at 1 a.m. Thursday between The Mirage and Planet Hollywood and ran through 6 p.m.

On Friday, full curb lane closures will be in place starting at 6 a.m. on Las Vegas Boulevard North and South between The Mirage and Planet Hollywood, as water-filled barriers for the demonstration course are installed. Those are set to be in place by 5 p.m.

That closure will be in effect through 5 p.m. Sunday, after crews remove all barriers tied to the event.

Las Vegas Boulevard’s first taste of F1 action will lead to a full closure of the Strip to inbound traffic between Spring Mountain Road and Harmon Avenue between 3:30 and 8 p.m. Saturday.

Flamingo Road between Koval Lane and Via Del Nord will be shut to traffic in each direction during the same hours as the Strip’s closure. The Flamingo eastbound exits on Interstate 15 will also be closed during those hours.

Motorists exiting resort properties on the west side of the Strip that are north of Caesars Palace will be allowed to only turn left to head north on Las Vegas Boulevard. Drivers leaving resort properties on the east side north of Caesars Palace can only turn right to head north on Las Vegas Boulevard.

All traffic on Bellagio Drive must exit right during the closure to head southbound on Las Vegas Boulevard.

The Seven Stars and Diamond Valet areas at Caesars Palace will be closed all day Saturday. Access to the main porte cochere from Frank Sinatra Drive also will be restricted all day Saturday.

Formula One stars Lewis Hamilton, Sergio Perez and George Russell are slated to take part in the live car demonstration, scheduled to occur between 5:30 p.m. and 6:35 p.m. Saturday.

The demo will start at Caesars Palace with drivers heading south on the Strip. Drivers will then go around the porte cochere at Paris and then head back north on Las Vegas Boulevard to Caesars, according to Rutger Jansen, vice president of event production for the Las Vegas Grand Prix.

Full curb lane closures in both directions of the Strip will be in place all day Saturday and won’t be lifted until 3 p.m. Sunday, following the removal of safety barriers.

Race officials have been in contact with the resorts that will be impacted by the event to ensure employees will be able to access their places of work.

The fan fest includes interactive displays, Formula One race cars and a driver question and answer session. The first 500 fans ages 21 and older to enter the fan fest will have a chance to win a ticket for a private VIP celebration later that night at Caesars Palace featuring a performance by The Killers.

Contact Mick Akers at makers@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2920. Follow @mickakers on Twitter.