Holiday weekend ends with I-15 traffic jam near Nevada-California border

By Jonah Dylan Las Vegas Review-Journal

2 years ago

Memorial Day traffic backs up on the South Interstate 15 on-ramp in Jean on Monday, May 30, 202 ... — Memorial Day traffic backs up on the South Interstate 15 on-ramp in Jean on Monday, May 30, 2022. (Steel Brooks/Las Vegas Review-Journal)

California-bound traffic on Interstate 15 about 5 miles north of Primm about 3:20 p.m. Monday, May 30, 2022. (RTC camera)

California-bound traffic on Interstate 15 about 5 at Primm, Nev., about 3:25 p.m. Monday, May 30, 2022. (RTC camera)

Memorial Day traffic backs up on South Interstate 15 between Jean and Primm on Monday, May 30, 2022. (Steel Brooks/Las Vegas Review-Journal)

Memorial Day traffic backs up on the South Interstate 15 on-ramp in Jean on Monday, May 30, 2022. (Steel Brooks/Las Vegas Review-Journal)

Motorists traveling from Las Vegas to Southern California at the end of Memorial Day weekend were facing significant backups and delays on Monday, especially nearing the Nevada-California border.

The Regional Transportation Commission told drivers to expect “long delays” and reported a 12-mile backup on Interstate 15 at around 2 p.m. That delay had been in effect since mid-morning.

Traffic cameras showed major delays and mostly stop-and-go traffic nearing the state border.

A major bottleneck is where I-15 goes from three travel lanes to two near the California Department of Food and Agriculture Station several miles west of Primm.

The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) recently put a contract out for bid for a planned $12 million project to repave and re-stripe the shoulder to make it a travel lane at heavy traffic times on the stretch of I-15 southbound from the Nevada-California border to the inspection station. It could be open by late summer, Caltrans hopes.

Contact Jonah Dylan at jdylan@reviewjournal.com. Follow @TheJonahDylan on Twitter.