Yearlong 215 Beltway widening projects starts in Henderson

The latest phase of the 215 Beltway widening campaign began in Henderson this week.

Work started on a nearly yearlong $29.6 million project to widen the 215 from Pecos Road to Windmill Lane, beginning with a stretch running from Pecos to Eastern Avenue, according to Dan Kulin, Clark County spokesman.

The portion of the 215 will be down to two travel lanes 24 hours a day through May 15, but future lane reductions in the area are also expected.

After May 15, the lane reductions in the project’s nearly 3-mile scope are expected to be limited to overnight hours between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. daily, Sundays through Thursdays, Kulin said.

Motorists can also expect lane reductions on Spencer Street, Pebble Road, Pecos and Eastern where those roads run under the 215.

“When the project is complete next March, the 215 will be four lanes wide on both sides between Windmill Lane and Pecos,” Kulin said. “This part of the 215 currently has three lanes in each direction.”

The widening project being carried out by Las Vegas Paving is the latest in a string of expansion projects for the Beltway.

Over $88 million in widening projects are in various stages of completion.

The first of the projects began in March 2019 and saw the Beltway between Decatur Boulevard and Tropicana Avenue widened, adding one travel lane in each direction on the 7-mile stretch of road. That portion wrapped up last fall.

Two other phases are under construction. A $23.6 million project is underway on a stretch of the highway between Decatur and Interstate 15 and is scheduled to wrap up by the end of the year, according to the county.

Although it’s only a 2-mile stretch, the project has a higher construction cost as more grading, retaining walls, sound walls and flood control work are needed.

A widening project of the 215 Beltway between Tropicana and Charleston Boulevard is also underway and is slated to finish early next year. The stretch of the Beltway sees 108,000 vehicles per day, according to Nevada Department of Transportation data.

Henderson will see another area of the Beltway widened at a future date, as an estimated $35 million project will add lane capacity to the highway between Pecos and Stephanie roads.

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