Maryland Parkway bus rapid transit project progresses

Work on the project kicked off in August and has been taking place along parts of the project’s 12.5- mile scope, including portions of Maryland Parkway from Harry Reid International Airport, by UNLV, into downtown, and the Bonneville Transit Center and to the Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at UNLV.

The project includes adding shared bus and bike lanes, wider sidewalks and enhanced bus shelters. The line will use a fleet of 60, all electric buses, that will run more frequently than the current Maryland Parkway bus route.

The bus rapid transit option was chosen in 2019 over the more expensive light rail option that would’ve cost over $1 billion and the cheaper $29 million upgrade of Route 109.

Work that crews have been carrying out so far across the project’s footprint includes installation of storm drain, waterline, sewer, and irrigation lines; installation of conduit for fry utilities; and removal and reconstruction of curbs, gutter, sidewalks and driveways.

New bus shelters

The first of the 44 new bus shelters to be added is going up this week on Maryland Parkway, just south of Oakey Boulevard. Four more bus shelters are planned to be installed through March, Regional Transportation Commission Deputy CEO David Swallow said.

“Generally, these are much more robust than what you might have seen before,” Swallow said. “They might be closer to the scale of what you see on Grand Central Parkway, but they’ll be a little bit bigger than that… They’ll provide a lot more shade, also more lighting and be more comfortable for everyone.”

Undergrounding utilities

Part of the project includes moving above-ground power lines underground near UNLV, with the hope of attracting new development in the area.

“Those are the ones that are on the east side of Maryland, between Flamingo and Trop,” Swallow said. “A lot of the work were doing near the university is part of a second contract where we’re underground a lot of the utilities there.”

That utility work near UNLV is slated to be wrapped up in April, when the roadwork associated with the project will then begin along that portion of Maryland Parkway.

Other work near UNLV

Work farther south on Maryland Parkway, between Russell Road and Tropicana, crews are also readying the roadway to be prepared for the new bus line.

“We’re doing the bus pads, utility relocation, setting up the station platforms and getting ready to repave the street,” Swallow said. “It’s going to kind of be a full refresh. We’re adding the more robust bus shelters and the concrete work that has to be done with that.”

Crews are adding reinforced concrete on the areas on the road in front of the bus shelters to minimize damage that the large buses can cause over time, Swallow said.

The project includes adding 7 miles of dedicated bus lanes on Maryland Parkway that will also be shared as a bike lane. The line also will see 15 electric buses that will be 60 feet long and be able to hold up to 90 passengers each.

The added bus shelters and bus capacity are expected to cut riders’ travel time on the route by 20 percent.

Traffic signals along the route are also being updated as part of the project.

On budget

Despite multiple other major road projects around the valley seeing budgets increase, sometimes canceling the work altogether, Swallow said the Maryland Parkway project is on the opposite spectrum.

“I may sound optimistic, but I’m fairly confident that we’re going to come in under that,” Swallow said.

Crews are working on various portions at a given time, so the entire 12.5-mile area the project is planned for is not disrupted at one time.

“We’re trying to get some focused attention on certain areas,” Swallow said. “Then we move on after we get the construction done.”

Coordinating work

The RTC coordinated with the Las Vegas Valley Water District to upgrade underground pipes, so that they wouldn’t have to go in the same area in the future and again interrupt traffic flow with another project.

Last week work began on Carson Avenue, between Maryland Parkway and Ninth Street downtown.

“There’s one lane open in each direction,” Swallow said. “On-street parking has been removed, but there is available parking nearby. So, people can access the businesses and entertainment options downtown.”

Work began in August on the project, with substantial completion scheduled for the fall of 2026.

“There’s a whole lot of work going on along the corridor,” Swallow said.

Contact Mick Akers at makers@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2920. Follow @mickakers on X. Send questions and comments to roadwarrior@reviewjournal.com.