What happened to a stretch of HOV lanes on I-15?

A 9-mile stretch of carpool lanes on Interstate 15 has been removed as part of an improvement project. But those lanes aren’t gone forever.

The high-occupancy vehicle lanes running between Silverado Ranch Boulevard and Flamingo Road were removed recently as part of the $305 million I-15/Tropicana Avenue project. The most recent portions were removed from the system following a pair of weekend directional closures of I-15 between the 215 Beltway and Hacienda Avenue.

Signage that noted the carpool regulation hours along the stretch also have been covered as the lanes are open to general purpose traffic 24/7.

The elimination of the portion of carpool lanes is not permanent, as crews will restripe I-15 in both directions between the two points, as the two projects near completion.

Lt. Gov. Stavros Anthony might hope that HOV lane removal was permanent, as he has been spearheading a charge to do just that since his time as a Las Vegas city councilman and now with his state-level position, which also sees him as vice chairman of the Nevada Transportation Board of Directors.

The HOV lanes were regulated 24/7 after they were added to I-15 as part of the $1 billion Project Neon. Then in May, in a move led by Anthony, the hours of regulation were cut, to 6-8 a.m. and 4-6 p.m. on weekdays. Any hours outside of that the lanes are open to general traffic.

The lanes seem to be catching on in the valley, as their above-average use was noted as one of the reasons Las Vegas was among the easiest commutes noted in a survey conducted for Lyft, by the Harris Poll. Noted as having the second-easiest commute, drivers in Las Vegas saw an average travel time of 25.6 minutes to and from work.

Noted in that report, a U.S. Census Bureau survey found 11 percent of Southern Nevada drivers said they carpool. That’s above the 9 percent national average.

Not only will the temporarily removed HOV lanes return next summer, but more sections of I-15 will see carpool lanes added next year.

The ongoing $86 million I-15 south widening project will see HOV lanes added between Blue Diamond Road and St. Rose Parkway.

That project also will see I-15 widened from six to eight lanes between Sloan Road and St. Rose Parkway. The interstate will also be widened and restriped from six to 10 lanes between St. Rose and Blue Diamond, including the planned one HOV lane in each direction along the stretch.

Bridge and pavement preservation will occur at the Blue Diamond interchange, and 10 new sound walls will be constructed near residential areas.

Contact Mick Akers at makers@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2920. Follow @mickakers on X. Send questions and comments to roadwarrior@reviewjournal.com.