US 95 and I-15 onramps near downtown Las Vegas to close Tuesday night
A pair of freeway ramps will shut to traffic overnight this week.
The Rancho Drive onramp to Interstate 15 southbound and the Martin Luther King Boulevard to U.S. Highway 95 northbound onramp will close from 10 p.m. Tuesday until 5 a.m. Wednesday, the Nevada Department of Transportation announced Monday.
Additionally, a portion of U.S. 95 southbound near Rancho Drive will be reduced to one lane from 11 p.m. Tuesday until 5 a.m. Wednesday, with sporadic rolling closures.
The roadwork is needed for sign removal and electrical work related to ramp meters as part of Project Neon, the nearly $1 billion 4-mile-long widening of I-15 from the Spaghetti Bowl to Sahara Avenue.
“Ramp meters are freeway onramp traffic signals that can reduce congestion and improve safety,” said Tony Illia, NDOT spokesperson. “When many vehicles merge onto an already-crowded freeway at once, drivers are forced to slow down to let cars enter from the ramp, potentially causing sudden speed changes, backups and crashes. Ramp meters, however, control the frequency and spacing of vehicles merging onto a freeway, thereby minimizing speed disruptions for enhanced traffic flows.”
Project Neon is 93 percent finished and scheduled for substantial completion in July.
Contact Mick Akers at makers@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2920. Follow @mickakers on Twitter.