Transportation officials rule out options to ease I-15 traffic

Wednesday, May 13, 2009 | 8:46 p.m.

Sun transportation coverage

Interstate 15 along the Strip won’t be a "double-decker" freeway in five years – or maybe ever.

A representative of Jacobs Engineering, a consultant hired by the Nevada Department of Transportation to consider ways to ease traffic along the I-15 "resort corridor" between the southern beltway and the Spaghetti Bowl, announced at a public meeting Wednesday evening that such a structure would cut into McCarran International Airport’s air space.

And so goes a long-discussed way to cut worsening traffic on the freeway. Administrators of the transportation department say the freeway can’t handle more than 10 lanes in both directions – not including auxiliary lanes – along that stretch.

So other remedies will have to be considered. Jacobs whittled a list of possibilities to 26 and suggested short-term and long-term improvements.

Among the more immediate measures, Jacobs recommends making Valley View Boulevard an eight-lane thoroughfare near the beltway and building an I-15 overpass – not interchange – at Sunset Road.

About 25 people attended the public meeting at Clark High School in Las Vegas.

Discussion: 1 comment so far…

By bdover

5/14/09 at 9:10 p.m.

Suggest removal

The ugliest structure in the world is the double decker freeway in front of the state capitol in beautiful Austin, Texas. Dumbest idea ever, and everyone agrees. Even the Luv Guv here, the raccoon lookalike, would agree. So kudos for this cancellation.....

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