Rio set to open pedestrian bridge over I-15 ramps

David Strow

Wednesday, Feb. 9, 2000 | 11:16 a.m.

The new pedestrian bridge connecting Harrah's Entertainment's Rio hotel-casino to the Strip is nearly complete and may formally open to the public by month's end.

The new bridge, a walkway over an I-15 on-ramp and an I-15 off-ramp at Flamingo Road, will allow patrons to avoid dodging traffic coming through the ramps, a huge safety concern for years.

The $900,000 bridge, built at the Rio's expense, is now 90 percent complete, and may be ready for a final inspection later this week. Officials say it will open soon, but estimates range from two weeks to eight weeks.

The path taken by pedestrians heading between the Rio and the Strip has been dangerous since the Rio opened. Pedestrians now have to dodge traffic coming through the ramps, and some parts of Flamingo Road have no sidewalks at all.

It's expected to become even more of an issue as time passes. The Gold Coast hotel-casino also sits at the intersection of Valley View Boulevard and Flamingo Road, and the owners of the Fiesta hotel-casino plan to open a resort hotel near the Rio.

The Rio said it was unaware of any patrons who were seriously injured or killed trying to make the crossing, but didn't want to assume the risk any longer.

"We don't imagine it will cause a huge difference in the volume of traffic (to the Rio)," said Cary Rehm, general manager of the Rio. "Our main thought is the safety of the guests we have walking to the Strip.

"People do want to walk to the Strip. Not having the (easy) access has been a real issue."

The Nevada Department of Transportation and Rio officials say they expect the bridge to be open to pedestrians as soon as it's complete, probably within two to three weeks.

"That's something you want open as soon as possible," Rehm said.

But the bridge is just one component of a $1.5 million pedestrian system designed to make the walk from the Rio to the Strip far safer. Once complete, the system will allow pedestrians to walk safely along Flamingo Road from Valley View Boulevard to the Strip. Construction began last summer.

Yet to be completed are crosswalks across Flamingo Road and the signals coordinating traffic flow.

That requires coordination between the Rio, NDOT and Clark County. Since so many parties are involved, there's confusion over the exact time the bridge will open.

The entire project is still six to eight weeks from completion, though construction is proceeding "feverishly," said Ken Ackeret, senior associate with Kimley-Horn & Associates, the engineering firm handling the project.

"My understanding is that not until the whole project is completed will (the bridge) be opened up," Ackeret said. "We all want it opened right away. But there's many parties involved, and it will be six to eight weeks before everything's tied together."

But Rehm said he's heard differently.

"My understanding is that they do plan to open the bridge (before the project is complete)," Rehm said.

But the formal status of the bridge may already be irrelevant to pedestrians, said Bob McKenzie, spokesman for NDOT.

"You can see some pedestrians are using it now," McKenzie said.