UNLV football, Aces-Liberty post-game traffic Friday could be nightmare. Here’s why

Those attending either the UNLV-Syracuse football game or Las Vegas Aces-New York Liberty WNBA playoff game Friday night should prepare for increased postgame traffic near the resort corridor.

The Top 25-ranked Rebels take on the Orange at 6 p.m. Friday, at Allegiant Stadium, and tip-off for the Aces-Liberty game across Interstate 15 at Michelob Ultra Arena at Mandalay Bay is planned for 6:30 p.m. — only hours before a weekend closure of I-15 southbound is set to get underway.

I-15 southbound will closed to traffic for the weekend at 9 p.m. Friday between Hacienda Avenue and the 215 Beltway and won’t reopen until 5 a.m. Monday. Fans exiting Allegiant Stadium or Mandalay Bay who normally access I-15 southbound via Russell Road or Tropicana Avenue probably will encounter a large traffic backup on the I-15 southbound collector-distributor road. The road that runs parallel to I-15 is being used as a detour for traffic heading south on I-15 ahead of the shuttered section.

Traffic is being diverted off I-15 southbound at Tropicana, where motorists will be detoured onto the collector-distributor road. That road doesn’t re-enter I-15 until just after the 215. Any drivers attempting to enter the collector-distributor road at either Tropicana or Russell — two of the closest areas from both Allegiant Stadium and Mandalay Bay — should brace for heavy traffic.

Dean Martin Drive, which runs along I-15 in front of Allegiant Stadium, will likely also see increased traffic, from a mix of those leaving the UNLV game and those looking to avoid the I-15 closure.

With UNLV being undefeated and facing an Atlantic Coast Conference foe, the crowd should near the fan capacity of 27,400 for the lower bowl of Allegiant Stadium. And the Aces win-or-go-home Game 3 against the Liberty is likely to be near the 10,419-fan capacity of Michelob Ultra Arena.

The MGM Resorts properties on the south Strip — Mandalay Bay, the Luxor and the Excalibur — are popular places for fans to park for Aces games and events at Allegiant Stadium.

That means Las Vegas Boulevard leading from Mandalay Bay is also likely to see increased traffic as fans from both games attempt to exit Mandalay Bay.

The area sees upwards of 60,000 fans for Raiders games and other major events at Allegiant Stadium, but the I-15 closure should create more of an impact on traffic than normal.

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