Delays, closures continue to affect Las Vegas traffic this week

The final paving and striping for Project Neon, the nearly $1 billion, 4-mile-long widening of Interstate 15 from the Spaghetti Bowl to Sahara Avenue will wreak havoc with many Las Vegas drivers this week.

As Pave-a-Palooza rolls on this week, traffic backups were seen all day Monday along a stretch of I-15.

I-15 southbound saw delays begin at around 5 a.m. near Sahara Avenue, extending north of the Spaghetti Bowl by 6 a.m. and then toward Lake Mead Boulevard by 7 a.m., according to Brian Hoeft, director of the Regional Transportation of Southern Nevada’s Freeway and Arterial System of Transportation.

“The delays north of Spaghetti Bowl were gone by 9 a.m., but there have been southbound delays between Tropicana Avenue and Spaghetti Bowl all day,” Hoeft said. “Maximum minutes of delay have approached 30 minutes.”

The delays will continue on I-15 southbound through Thursday and will also be seen on northbound I-15 beginning at 8 p.m. Monday night, as paving efforts begin on a stretch from the 215 Beltway to Sahara.

Motorists can expect the following closures:

— The two inside lanes of I-15 southbound between the 215 Beltway and Silverado Ranch will be closed until 8 p.m. Wednesday.

— The two inside lanes of I-15 southbound between Sahara and the 215 Beltway will be closed until 5 a.m. Thursday, with additional nightly lane closures occurring from 9 p.m. until 6 a.m.

— The two inside lanes of I-15 northbound between Silverado Ranch and the 215 Beltway, which closed at noon Monday, will be closed until 8 p.m. Wednesday.

— The two inside lanes of I-15 northbound between the 215 Beltway and Sahara will be closed from 8 p.m. Monday until 8 p.m. Friday, with additional nightly lane closures occurring from 9 p.m. until 6 a.m.

Once this round of paving is complete on Friday morning, another round of I-15 ramp restrictions will begin Friday night.

I-15 northbound between Sahara and D Street will close to traffic from 10 p.m. Friday until 5 a.m. Monday.

Various ramp closures will also occur during the weekend closure including the Martin Luther King, Sahara and Neon Gateway on ramps to I-15 northbound

Project Neon is 96 percent finished and scheduled for completion by mid-July.

Contact Mick Akers at makers@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2920. Follow @mickakers on Twitter.