Rare US scene: Major interstate closed all weekend — PHOTOS

A major interstate closed in both directions for an entire weekend. That’s the case in central Las Vegas this weekend.

Interstate 15 is shut down both ways from Flamingo Road south to Russell Road.

The closure allows crews to tear down the north half of the Tropicana Avenue bridge over the interstate, the Nevada Department of Transportation said.

Closure occurred at 10 p.m. sharp Friday and the scheduled reopening is 5 a.m. Monday.

“During the closure, there will be posted detours at Russell and Flamingo. However, detour routes are expected to fill up quickly,” department spokesman Justin Hopkins said. “Drivers are encouraged to avoid the area if possible or use a navigation app, such as Waze, to reroute past backups.”

Drivers on northbound I-15 can exit at Russell, go west to Decatur Boulevard, north to Flamingo and then east back to the freeway. Drivers on I-15 southbound can do the opposite: Exit at Flamingo, go west to Decatur, south to Russell and then east back to I-15. Other north-south alternates include the Airport Connector and Valley View, Jones and Rainbow boulevards.

NDOT and local law enforcement will collaborate to staff detour routes with uniformed personnel and marked patrol vehicles. The Regional Transportation Commission will monitor traffic in the area around the clock during the closure and will adjust signal timing as necessary to mitigate congestion.

The Tropicana bridge over I-15 will be rebuilt taller, wider and longer, allowing for additional capacity and increasing safety for drivers and pedestrians.

Road work on the project will be ongoing until early 2025, according to the schedule.

Contact Marvin Clemons at mclemons@reviewjournal.com. Follow @Marv_in_Vegas on Twitter. Las Vegas Review-Journal reporter Mick Akers contributed to this story.