Long-term lane closures coming to US 95 near downtown

Traffic on U.S. Highway 95 near downtown Las Vegas is set to be significantly impacted for over year due to a major rehabilitation road project.

The stretch of U.S. 95 between the Spaghetti Bowl and Eastern Avenue will be reduced to two travel lanes in each direction starting Sunday for southbound traffic and June 29 for northbound traffic. Both closures will last through late December 2022, the Nevada Department of Transportation announced Monday.

The $40 million project is needed to rehabilitate the viaduct as portions of it are almost 60 years old.

Plans call for repair and pavement overlay on the 1.2 million square foot viaduct deck surface between the Union Pacific Railroad and 21st Street, as well as reconstructing the Casino Center Boulevard offramp hinge and seismically retrofitting selected viaduct columns.

A new southbound auxiliary lane will also be added between Interstate 15 and Eastern by lane restriping, with the U.S. 95 Eastern southbound offramp being widened to two lanes.

Other improvements include reconstructing the Eastern and Desert Inn Road bridges, which have developed fatigue cracks in the structural steel box girders.

Construction will occur six days a week on the portion of U.S. 95 that averaged 183,000 vehicles daily, pre-pandemic.

“As a result, the 370-working-day project contract carries up to $1.38 million in early completion incentives; conversely, penalties of $16,250 per day will be assessed for late completion,” said Tony Illia, NDOT spokesman. “The project will extend the near-term service life of the viaduct, portions of which were built almost 60 years ago.”

Plans also call for replacing the viaduct as part of the future Downtown Access Project, which is currently in the early environmental planning stages.

Here’s a breakdown of other project-related road and ramp closures:

June 27 to Sept. 1

The U.S. 95 southbound offramp at Casino Center will be closed from 9 p.m., Sunday, until 5 a.m, Sept. 1.

June 27 to June 29

The Las Vegas Boulevard onramp to U.S. 95 southbound will be closed from 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly.

U.S. 95 southbound offramp to Eastern will close from 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly.

June 28 to July 1

The Casino Center onramp to U.S. 95 northbound to close from 9 p.m. until 6 a.m. nightly.

June 29 to July 1

The Eastern Avenue onramp to U.S. 95 northbound to close from 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly.

The U.S. 95 northbound offramp to Las Vegas Boulevard to close from 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. nightly.

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