New interchange near Las Vegas Motor Speedway will smooth traffic
A planned new interchange in North Las Vegas is expected to enhance the driving experience in the area.
The interchange project for Interstate 15 and the 215 Beltway, slated to cost up to $110.5 million, is expected to get underway later this year near the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, according to the Nevada Department of Transportation.
The work won’t be complete until 2022.
The project will be 95 percent funded by the federal government, with the remaining 5 percent paid for by state contributions.
Plans call for new direct connect ramps, flyovers and street connections, completing a highway-to-highway system where I-15 meets the northern Beltway.
Additionally, the plans include building I-15 southbound ramps and reconstructing I-15 northbound ramps for the I-15 and Tropical Parkway interchange.
Reconfiguring local streets to improve traffic flow around the interchange and landscape enhancements will also occur during the project.
“The project will improve safety, reduce travel times, provide better access to future North Las Vegas developments, enhance operations with full freeway-to-freeway connectivity and increase capacity,” said NDOT spokesman Tony Illia.
North Las Vegas Mayor John Lee said he’s excited about the planned project and the possible economic diversification it could bring in an area that already houses large facilities from Amazon, Sephora, Fanatics and other major companies.
“This is a great example of, if you build it, they will come,” Lee said. “The new interchange will provide easy access to more than 1,000 acres of land east of the I-15, where multiple Fortune 500 companies, international brands and e-commerce giants are setting up shop. The influx of new companies is expected to create thousands of new jobs for our workforce in the coming months.”
Contact Mick Akers at makers@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2920. Follow @mickakers on Twitter.
