Valley View-Harmon Road project to handle 80K vehicles per day

Valley View Boulevard has been cut in half by Union Pacific Railroad tracks just before Harmon Avenue, sending unknowing motorists into U-turns daily.

A $65 million road project to finally connect Valley View and Harmon kicked off in January 2019 and is expected to be done by the end of July.

Flyover ramps are being constructed, with Valley View set to feature three lanes on the affected stretch and Harmon having two lanes, according to Jimmy Floyd, manager of construction management for Clark County.

“The design considerations were costs and limiting the number of bridges that cross the railroad tracks,” Floyd said. “We also had to acquire a lot of right of way as part of this project. This design actually limited the amount of right of way we had to purchase.”

Floyd said the road project isn’t comparable to any other that’s been completed in the Las Vegas Valley.

“This is a one-off,” Floyd said. “We wanted to make sure the flow of traffic is as fluid as could be. So we wanted to maximize the capacity for the intersection.”

Estimates call for 80,000 vehicles traveling on the stretch of road per day, Floyd said.

The major movement tied to the project was northbound Valley View onto eastbound Harmon, where a lot of commuters go to access the center part of the Strip.

“You’ll be able to get to any direction,” Floyd said. “The northbound Valley View to east Harmon won’t have a signalized intersection. You’ll go through some ramps where there will be an intersection on the other side of the railroad, which will essentially be the Valley View/Harmon intersection, but that’s on the other side (of the tracks).”

Harmon will also be built out from Polaris Avenue to Decatur Boulevard once the project is complete.

“Harmon used to stop here at the railroad, but also a flood channel,” he said. “We already completed that work (at the flood channel), so now it will be continuous.”

Harmon will eventually feature a high occupancy vehicle ramp, as part of a separate Interstate 15/Tropicana Avenue interchange project slated to start next year.

The added connectivity of the Valley View roadwork will allow for better access to that Harmon ramp, which is considered a major stadium traffic enhancement project, once that $200 million project is done in 2024.

Despite having a big impact on everyday commuting, the connections will provide a vital road option for Allegiant Stadium events.

Hopes are to have the project done in time for the July 31 Allegiant Stadium substantial completion date, Floyd said.

“There is an early completion bonus for the contractor (Las Vegas Paving) to get this done by July 31 in anticipation for the NFL season,” he said. “It’s only about one-and-a-half months early. But we’re anticipating all the heavy traffic coming from the stadium. This will definitely help with the stadium traffic, creating more free movement. We’ll be able to get traffic in and out much better with this.”

215 lane reductions

The 215 Beltway from Decatur Boulevard to Interstate 15 will be reduced to one lane in each direction overnight Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

The lane reductions tied to the ongoing widening project on the 215 will begin around 9 p.m. each day, with traffic restricted to one lane in each direction by 11 p.m. daily.

The lane restrictions will be lifted by 5 a.m. daily and should not affect rush-hour or daytime traffic.

The westbound 215 off-ramp to Decatur will also be closed from 1-5 a.m. Thursday.

The lane closures are needed for crews to add new lane markings along the highway.

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