MGM’s Fight of the Century will be Traffic Jam of the Century
Everyone knows where the center of the sports universe will be Saturday.
Your M life card is officially revoked if you said Louisville, Ky.
Although the Kentucky Derby always ranks high as one of the nation’s most beloved sporting events, it’s getting trumped this year by a boxing match that’s been called “the Fight of the Century,” the expensive, superhyped, long-awaited and expensive match between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather.
And you know what they say at Warrior Central — where there’s a Fight of the Century, there’s traffic.
You have to sympathize a little with MGM Resorts International. Not only is the company going to have to go out and buy a new fleet of vehicles to haul all that money to the bank, but it will have to walk the fine line of being welcoming, accommodating hosts to the biggest sporting event in decades while telling people who want to get a sniff of fight night ambiance that the MGM Grand is not the place to be Saturday unless you have a ticket to get inside the arena.
I called and asked MGM officials about traffic concerns and the message to those hoping to catch a glimpse of the celebrities attending the fight is, “Stay away.”
If you want to watch the fight, stay away. If you think you’re going to see a celebrity, stay away. If you want to take Aunt Millie and Uncle Fred for a drive on the Strip, stay away.
From Saturday afternoon to 10 p.m., you won’t want to be anywhere near Las Vegas Boulevard and Tropicana Avenue lest your vehicle be swallowed by the giant vortex of traffic.
“There’s going to be extreme traffic all around the MGM Grand Garden all week,” a company spokeswoman said.
The fighters arrive Tuesday so there will be a swarm at 1:30 p.m.
The doors to the arena open at noon on Friday for the official weigh-in, an event that observers are going to have to pay to get in for the first time (it goes to charity at least). And then, the big event Saturday. The undercard starts at 6 p.m., which is why traffic jams will be an all-day occurrence.
As for celebrity sightings, those inside the arena will see the glitterati. But there are no red-carpet entrances planned. The people who can afford the $1,500 to $7,500 ticket prices also will have the juice to get in through private entrances and they will.
I know that there will be hundreds, perhaps thousands who won’t heed these pleas and will show up anyway. Just be forewarned that MGM security officials will be watching for loiterers, especially in high-traffic areas like the front lobby.
“If you have a reason to be there, you’re welcome,” the spokeswoman said. “If you have a ticket inside or are a guest at the hotel or have dinner reservations at one of the restaurants, you’re welcome.”
If you don’t, stay away.
If you’re wanting to see the fight in a charged atmosphere, look into some of the venues where closed-circuit television feeds are planned — Mandalay Bay, Luxor, Excalibur, New York-New York, Monte Carlo, Aria, Bellagio and The Mirage. Tickets are $150 each. By now, they might be sold out or close to selling out.
For those who do have reason to be at the MGM, consider parking along the Las Vegas Monorail route and commuting in. Monorail officials noted that some of the properties along the route — Bally’s, Harrah’s, the Linq and SLS — would appreciate some pre-fight patronage.
The Las Vegas Convention Center isn’t an option to park and ride because the parking lot will be closed for a trade-show move-in. Our tourism economy will benefit greatly from the Fight of the Century and, thankfully, this isn’t the type of event that occurs often.
Until Pacquiao-Mayweather II.
REAL ID compliance delayed
A few months ago, some people who frequently fly were alarmed when the U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced that at some point ticketed passengers won’t be able to use their driver’s licenses for identification to board flights. Instead, they’d need a passport or a Real ID-designated card to conform with the Real ID Act of 2005.
The scary part of the early warning was that Homeland Security and the Transportation Security Administration were going to start checking for Real ID cards sometime in 2016.
Some Warrior readers were understandably outraged. They said they had just renewed their licenses and weren’t offered the option of getting a Real ID designation. Were they now going to have to pay for another renewal early to get Real ID, which on Nevada licenses is designated with a gold circle with a white star? It was doubly frustrating for residents because Nevada renewals are now shifting to eight-year cycles instead of four unless you’re 65 or older.
But there’s good news. Real ID compliance isn’t coming next year. The official compliance deadline now is Oct. 1, 2020, Department of Motor Vehicles Director Troy Dillard said.
There’s an extra level of security for Real ID and applicants must prove their Nevada residency and their identities with special documents.
To get that Real ID star, you’ll need proof of identity, proof of Social Security number and two documents proving Nevada residency. For identity, you can use a state-issued birth certificate, a valid U.S. passport or passport card, a certificate of naturalization or a certificate of citizenship.
For proof of Social Security number, bring a Social Security card, a W-2 form, a pay stub with a Social Security number, an employment check stub with a Social Security number or tax records with a Social Security number.
To prove your Nevada residency, you need two documents which can include a mortgage or rental receipt, a utility statement, bank or credit card statement or an employment pay stub.
For more information, visit the link on the DMV website — www.dmvnv.com/.
Questions and comments should be sent to roadwarrior@reviewjournal.com. Please include your phone number. Follow @RJroadwarrior on Twitter.
ROAD WORK AHEAD
■ State Route 163, the Laughlin Highway, will have a lane of traffic restricted in each direction from Milepost 10 to Milepost 19, Monday through Wednesday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., for a paving project.
■ Streets will be restricted in the area around Nellis Boulevard, Flamingo Road and Boulder Highway for a wastewater line project through July 3. Southbound Nellis will be closed from Flamingo to Boulder Highway with traffic redirected westbound on Flamingo. Northbound Nellis will be open to two lanes during the day, one lane at night. Eastbound Flamingo will be closed from Boulder Highway to Nellis with one lane open. Westbound traffic will be closed from Perry Street to Nellis with lanes broadening from one lane at Nellis to three lanes at Boulder Highway.
■ Street, sidewalk, lighting and landscaping improvements are scheduled on Bridger Avenue between Main and Sixth streets through Thursday. Traffic will be restricted to a single lane each direction.
■ The northbound lane of Dean Martin Drive will be closed for a half mile from just north of Blue Diamond Road through Thursday, from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m., for a water reclamation line project. Traffic will be pushed to the south and center lanes and business access will remain open.
■ Roads within the Lake Mead National Recreation Area are being repaired with smooth surfaces to accommodate bicycles from Lake Mead Boulevard to Milepost 20.6 on Northshore Road. Roads in the Echo Bay area, including the campgrounds, will be resealed. Expect 15-minute delays at the construction site. Work is planned weekdays through May 22.
■ Lane restrictions will occur on Grand Teton Drive between Durango Drive and Rainbow Boulevard through May.
GASOLINE PRICES
The average gasoline price Friday in the Las Vegas Valley was $2.88 per gallon. It was $2.88 in Nevada. The national average of $2.52 is up 9 cents from a week ago, up 10 cents from a month ago and down $1.17 from a year ago.
