Las Vegas to California drive about to get worse

The stretch of I-15 running from Primm to just north of Jean is the portion leading from Las Vegas to the California border, which regularly sees heavy traffic congestion when visitors head back to Southern California after a weekend in Southern Nevada.

“Interstate 15 is the main artery serving Southern Nevada’s tourist economy, acting as the prime travel corridor for millions of southern California visitors annually,” said NDOT spokesman Tony Illia in a statement. “In fact, the stretch of impacted interstate averages 60,900 vehicles daily pre-pandemic, with heavy truck travel accounting for 10 percent of total traffic.”

The project was planned before the pandemic began last year and it is not taking into account the gradual increase of visitors along the stretch that saw significant dips during the pandemic, Illia said.

NDOT did communicate with the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority about the project, as the department does with stakeholders in major road projects, Illia said.

“It was scheduled well before 2020 as part of our planned rehabilitation work,” Illia said. “Also, we will not be working on Sundays.”

The project will place about 100,000 tons of total asphalt in the interstate and also includes upgrades to the Jean interchange. Additionally, crews will add two miles of new guardrail, repair tortoise fencing, frontage road upgrades, new signage, and Intelligent Transportation Systems improvements.

Slated to be completed by the end of the year, the project will see at least two lanes of the three-lane highway open at all times during construction.

“They are going to be milling and paving southbound I-15 by shifting traffic lanes to create a construction work zone while still managing thru traffic,” Illia said

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