I-15 construction to force closure of lanes, ramps

By Kyle B. Hansen

Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2009 | 10:15 a.m.

Lanes on southbound Interstate 15, the Spring Mountain Road on-ramp and the Flamingo Road westbound off-ramp will be closed Wednesday night.

The closures are to allow crews to strip lanes to a temporary four-lane configuration between Spring Mountain and Flamingo as part of the express lane project.

The closures are expected to begin at 9 p.m. Wednesday and end at 5 a.m. Thursday.

The $21.5 million express lane project began September 2009 and was expected to last a year, however the completion date was moved to November.

Once completed, Interstate 15 will have two dedicated express lanes in each direction from Sahara Avenue to the south valley Las Vegas Beltway interchange.

Closures continue on I-15 north of Spaghetti Bowl

Sign installation will require the closure of the ramp from southbound Interstate 15 to U.S. 95 Wednesday night.

The closure is expected to begin at 11 p.m. Wednesday and end by 5 a.m. Thursday.

The signs are part of the $240 million I-15 north project to widen the freeway from the Spaghetti Bowl to Craig Road.

Another part of the project will require the closure of Lake Mead Boulevard in both directions at the interstate from 9 p.m. Thursday to 5 a.m. Friday while crews pour a deck.

Lake Mead Boulevard will later be closed for six to eight weeks beginning Nov. 12 for work on the project.

The Lake Mead Boulevard on- and off-ramps to northbound I-15 will remain closed through November.

In addition, D Street from Washington Avenue to the freeway will remain closed through mid-November, the D Street ramp to I-15 will be closed through December and Carey Avenue is closed at the interstate through the end of November for bridge construction.

The Interstate 15 north project began in September 2007 and is scheduled to end in the fall of 2010.

New traffic signal goes live Thursday

A new traffic signal at Pecos Road and Harris Avenue is expected to begin operation Thursday morning, city officials announced.

As a warning to motorists on Pecos, the signal’s amber lights will be flashing on Wednesday. Drivers on Harris will have to make a full stop and yield to traffic on Pecos, as the lights will be flashing red.

The signal is expected to accommodate an increase in traffic in the area when six new softball and baseball fields open early next year at nearby Freedom Park.

“This busy intersection generates a lot of traffic to Desert Pines High School on Washington Avenue, and Mountain View Christian School on Harris,” Mayor Pro Tem Gary Reese, who represents the area, said in a statement. “Traffic counts indicate that some 30,000 vehicles travel through the intersection each day, and that number is going to go up when the new Big League Dreams Sports Park opens.”

Blasting to cause delays on U.S. 93 near Hoover Dam

Motorists traveling between Las Vegas and Phoenix could encounter some delays as the Arizona Department of Transportation continues work on U.S. 93 near Hoover Dam.

Crews will be doing blast work from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday at the new scenic overlook at milepost 12.5 on the east side of U.S. 93.

Motorists should expect half hour delays during the blasting.

Crews are also hauling dirt across U.S. 93 at milepost 12.6 during October. The dirt hauls may cause 15-minute delays for motorists Monday through Thursday from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Fridays from 6 a.m. to noon.

The U.S. 93 project will widen about 15 miles of the road near the dam before the opening of the Hoover Dam bypass late next year.

The project began in January on the road, which carries more than 14,000 vehicles each day.