Alternate routes suggested for Las Vegas to Los Angeles travelers
With winter weather affecting multiple areas of Interstate 15 Thursday seeking an alternate route is a safe bet if traveling from Las Vegas to southern California.
Snow is creating off-and-on road closures at Mountain Pass, located just south of Primm and Cajon Pass just north of San Bernadino, Calif. Skipping the initial backup near the Nevada-California border is suggested by traffic app Waze. Waze includes real time traffic conditions, road closures and construction in it’s route suggestions.
Motorists can opt to take a 234-mile detour through Las Vegas and Henderson, down south through the Nevada desert, and past the Nevada-California border, eventually ending up in Barstow, California. That’s 77 miles longer than Las Vegas to Barstow via I-15.
Starting on I-15, motorists can jump on the 215 Beltway eastbound to U.S. 93 southbound to Interstate 11, where they’ll exit at U.S. Highway 95 southbound.
From there, motorists travel 77 miles, through the dry lake beds, Searchlight, and Cal-Nev-Ari, Nevada, past the Nevada-California border until they arrive at Interstate 40.
From there motorists head west on I-40 for 137 miles until they arrive in Barstow, where several fast food and quick eat restaurants and multiple gas stations are located. Travelers can fill their stomachs and gas tanks to ready them for the home stretch into Southern California.
From Barstow, travelers can continue on I-15 to head toward LA/SD or merge on Interstate 215 to head to San Bernadino. The route is pegged at 4 hours and 26 minutes to travel the 305-mile route to San Bernadino.
Traveling through Cajon Pass is still part of this route, which as of 11:52 a.m. was reclosed in both directions after being reopened earlier Thursday morning, according to the California Highway Patrol.
Checking the status of Cajon Pass after arriving in Barstow is suggested ahead of making the final push toward the San Bernardino area.
Contact Mick Akers at makers@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2920. Follow @mickakers on Twitter.
