New interchange in Henderson to bring relief, officials say

Project signage is shown for the I-15 Starr Avenue Interchange during a public information meeting at Steven G. Schorr Elementary School in Las Vegas Thursday, Oct. 22, 2015. (Las Vegas Review-Journal)

A planned interchange project at Interstate 15 and Starr Avenue promises to ease traffic congestion in parts of Henderson, city officials said.

The Henderson City Council last week unanimously voted to approve a $35.2 million agreement between the city and the Nevada Department of Transportation for the design and construction of the I-15 at Starr Avenue Interchange.

Located on I-15 between Cactus Avenue and St. Rose Parkway, the interchange will boost local access and mobility by linking Starr Avenue from the west side of I-15 at Dean Martin Drive to the east side of I-15 at Las Vegas Boulevard.

“I think Eastern Avenue, in particular, will see alleviation in existing traffic congestion because this project will provide motorists with an alternate route,” city spokeswoman Kim Becker said.

The state Transportation Department is expected to break ground on the project by October with an expected completion by late 2018.

With the new interchange at I-15 and Starr Avenue, the project includes Starr Avenue connections with Las Vegas Boulevard on the east side and Dean Martin Drive on the west side, Becker said.

“All of this connectivity is especially important for the growing areas in our community such as West Henderson and Inspirada, not to mention the convenience for our residents in Anthem,” she said.

Also, the project will improve access to McCarran International Airport for residents of the southern portion of the Las Vegas Valley.

The interchange project will result in a new at-grade interchange for Starr Avenue extending to Las Vegas Boulevard with I-15 being lifted to pass over Starr Avenue. The interchange will go beneath I-15 to reduce traffic noise for surrounding neighbors, according NDOT spokesman Tony Illia.

“This project will help relieve commuter traffic through the southwest corridor, which is increasingly becoming congested as new development emerges in Southern Highlands,” Illia said. “With the Raider stadium forthcoming, this will help alleviate some commuter traffic as well.”

Construction on the 15-month project is expected to cost between $40 million and $52 million.

The city has obtained an allocation of $35.2 million dollars in fuel revenue indexing funds from the Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada for construction of the new interchange. The remainder of the project is being funded by Federal Highway Administration

The project is being developed with the Regional Transportation Commission and Clark County.

NDOT has completed design of the interchange and is preparing to advertise the project for construction bids in July.

For more information, visit nevadadot.com/starr.

Contact Sandy Lopez at slopez@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-4686. Follow @JournalismSandy on Twitter.