All northbound lanes of airport connector tunnel set to open

By Kyle B. Hansen

Saturday, Nov. 20, 2010 | 2:05 a.m.

The northbound portion of the McCarran International Airport connector tunnel will be opened to its full three lanes next week for the first time in about a year.

But travelers will have to watch out for another road closure in the area Sunday night.

The tunnel has had at least one northbound lane closed since October 2009. The closed lane is scheduled to reopen 5 a.m. Tuesday, in time for people flying to or from Las Vegas for the Thanksgiving holiday.

McCarran has been working on the roads just north of the tunnel, which connects the airport to the Las Vegas Beltway, in preparation for the opening of the airport’s Terminal 3 in 2012.

The tunnel is a popular shortcut for locals to access the east side of the resort corridor and UNLV without driving on Interstate 15 or Las Vegas Boulevard.

There will still be occasional lane closures in the tunnel, including one shortly after Thanksgiving, but those closures are expected to only be during overnight hours, and the exact dates have not be determined, airport officials said.

Before the tunnel lane opening, a temporary bridge closure Sunday night will keep traffic exiting from McCarran from going north on Swenson Avenue toward Tropicana Avenue.

During the closure, which is scheduled for 9 p.m. Sunday to 5 a.m. Monday, motorists will have to exit the airport to the south, through the tunnel.

Motorists who try to circle back to the departure area of Terminal 1, go to Terminal 2 or go to economy parking also will have to use detours during the closure.

The closure is to allow crews to install an overhead sign structure near the bridge.