Trio of new road projects that will affect traffic in 2024
As 2023 comes to an end there are no shortage of road projects ongoing and planned as 2024 kicks off.
Outside of the Interstate 15-Tropicana Avenue project pushing ahead with a plethora of planned work, multiple new projects will begin to add to the Las Vegas Valley’s traffic woes.
Here are three road projects that will affect traffic in Southern Nevada as the new year begins.
I-15 south
Just a few miles south of work occurring with the I-15-Tropicana work, a portion of the interstate will see a widening project starting next month.
I-15 between Sloan and Blue Diamond roads will see varying work conducted on it beginning Jan. 2, according to the Nevada Department of Transportation. The $73 million project was originally scheduled to begin this past summer, but multiple issues, including procurement of materials, delayed the start date, according to NDOT spokesman Justin Hopkins.
Work includes widening the freeway from six lanes to eight lanes between Sloan and St. Rose Parkway. Then between St. Rose and Blue Diamond, I-15 will be widened from six general purpose lanes to 10. High occupancy vehicle lanes also will be added between St. Rose and Blue Diamond.
Sound walls will be added near residential areas throughout the project, with bridges and pavement on the stretch set to be resurfaced at Blue Diamond.
The project is expected to wrap up in 2025.
Henderson 215 widening
The 215 Beltway has undergone several widening projects on different sections over the past several years. That work will continue in 2024.
The 215 in Henderson between Pecos Road and Stephanie Street will be next in line to be expanded. The $111 million project will see two lanes added in each direction of the 215 and the interchanges at Pecos and Green Valley Parkway improved. The freeway ramps at Valle Verde Drive and Stephanie also will be enhanced.
Henderson will have an online public meeting posted between Jan. 15 and Feb. 15 to get online feedback from residents, Madeleine Skains, Henderson spokeswoman said.
The widening project is expected to begin as early as the third quarter of 2024.
The Henderson 215 widening work will begin as another widening project of the beltway continues between I-15 and Jones Boulevard in the south valley. The $84.6 million that is adding one lane in each direction in the project’s scope is expected to wrap up in the spring of 2025.
Henderson Spaghetti Bowl
Staying in Henderson where the 215 meets U.S. Highway 95, the Henderson Interchange project, also known as the Henderson Spaghetti Bowl, will see work begin in the latter portion of 2024.
The $350-$400 million project will see the interchange reconstructed, featuring a crossover-style design, with the east-west highway directions crossing over each other. This will help improve travel time by reducing congestion and enhance safety by addressing issues with the existing design.
It was originally completed in 2006, but the population in the Las Vegas Valley has increased by 800,000 residents since then. The upgrade to the 17-year-old interchange is needed to keep up with the increased demand now and the projected growth in the future.
The braided ramp design planned for the project will reopen access to Gibson Road from where the 215 and U.S. 95 meet, an access point that was eliminated in a 2019 restriping effort.
The current interchange features 27 bridges, with plans for five of those to be demolished as part of the revamp. Eleven additional bridges will be constructed with the project, bringing the total number to 33 once the project is completed.
An estimated 191,000 vehicles travel through the interchange daily, according to a 2020 traffic study. That volume is expected to spike to 289,00 daily vehicles by 2040, NDOT noted.
The Henderson Interchange project is of the design-build variety, meaning once the project is 70 percent designed, work can commence.
The project is expected to be completed in 2027.
Contact Mick Akers at makers@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2920.
