Not done yet: Centennial Bowl ramp shut down for several weeks

Despite a December announcement of substantial completion of yearslong work on the $272 million Centennial Bowl project, a long-term road closure within the site’s scope was set to begin Sunday night.

A more than monthlong closure of the U.S. Highway 95 southbound off-ramp to Centennial Center Boulevard began Sunday night and is expected to run through 5 p.m. April 19, according to the Nevada Department of Transportation. The closure is needed to carry out utility work and sewer line relocation tied to the Centennial Bowl project.

The work is tied to punch list items left on the northwest valley project. These are often minor tasks tied to final completion of road projects, such as painting needed areas, landscaping or touching up sections that may have been damaged during initial construction.

The off-ramp work is being carried out in conjunction with utility work also taking place on Centennial Center.

Despite the off-ramp being completed in an early phase of the Centennial Bowl project, over a decade ago, NDOT had to wait to carry out the utility work until this week.

“The reason the sewer line work is happening now is because we were awaiting approvals and permits, which did not come in until recently,” NDOT spokesman Justin Hopkins said.

During the long-term closure, the U.S. 95 southbound off-ramp to Centennial Center will be closed 24/7. NDOT recommends motorists who normally use the Centennial Center to exit at Ann Road.

The project, which has been 15 years in the making but with actual construction not beginning until 2015, included the construction of 20 bridges, improvements to surface street networks, the addition of a new multiuse trail and enhanced access to Kyle Canyon, according to NDOT.

Freeway improvement included the U.S. 95 to 215 Beltway system interchange that is the Centennial Bowl, in addition to increasing capacity on both freeways and adding HOV lanes and access to U.S. 95. The final phase of work included direct freeway connections from U.S. 95 to 215 westbound, 215 westbound to U.S. 95 northbound, and 215 eastbound to U.S. 95 northbound.

I-15-Tropicana project update

As work continues on the Phase 3 of the four-phase $305 million, multiyear project, associated road impacts continue.

Phase 3 work began in February and will continue through the fall. It includes improvements to the south side of Tropicana ahead of the reopening of the I-15 southbound to Tropicana eastbound flyover ramp, which was closed in early 2023.

Dropicana 2.0 is also part of the current phase in which the south half of the Tropicana bridge over I-15 and Frank Sinatra Drive was demolished ahead of it being reconstructed. That’s similar to the initial Dropicana last year, which saw the north half of the bridge brought down and rebuilt.

Reconstruction of bridges over I-15, Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin are also part of Phase 3.

Between 9 p.m. Wednesday and 5 a.m. Thursday, the I-15 southbound ramp to the 215 Beltway eastbound will be closed to traffic.

Other upcoming road and lane closures include:

— I-15 southbound between Russell and Sunset roads down to two lanes nightly between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m. on March 17 and March 18

— I-15 northbound between Sunset and Russell down to two lanes nightly between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m. March 18 and March 24

— I-15 southbound between Flamingo Road and Russell fully closed between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m. March 28

— I-15 northbound between Tropicana and Flamingo down to three lanes nightly between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m. April 3 and April 4

The fourth and final phase of the project is expected to begin by the end of the year and be completed in summer 2025. Work in the final phase is mainly tied to the reconfiguration of Dean Martin under I-15, making it a direct connection and nixing the traffic signal at Tropicana that is currently in place.

Contact Mick Akers at makers@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2920. Follow @mickakers on X. Send questions and comments to roadwarrior@reviewjournal.com.