Las Vegas Strip closure for NFL Draft formally approved

NFL Draft related road closures around Las Vegas Boulevard and Flamingo Road were given the OK by Clark County officials Tuesday.

The Clark County Commission unanimously approved an essentially full closure of the Strip in front of the Bellagio and on Flamingo Road between Las Vegas Boulevard and Koval Lane. The shutdown of what will be the center of all draft activity is slated to begin at 10 p.m. April 27 and run through 9 p.m. April 30.

The NFL Draft takes place April 28-April 30, with the red carpet stage set to be located over the Fountains of Bellagio and the draft theater and Draft Experience planned to be in an area directly behind the Linq.

All closed roads will be open between 1 a.m. and 6 a.m. April 29 and April 30, according to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. The reopening of roads will allow for resorts to receive delivery of goods in off hours of the draft, according to Denis Cederburg, director of planning for Clark County.

Lane closures tied to the draft will begin April 13 to allow for event set up and will run through May 6 for event breakdown.

Those lane closures will include:

— The two outside lanes of Las Vegas Boulevard from Flamingo to the Bellagio entrance near the Cosmopolitan. Between 6 a.m. and 5 p.m. a third lane closure will occur on this stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard.

— The outside eastbound lane of Flamingo from 200 feet west of the Bellagio north porte cochere to the Bellagio north porte cochere.

— The outside eastbound lane of Flamingo from Bellagio north porte cochere through the outside lane of channelized right-turn at Las Vegas Boulevard.

— The southbound curb lane on Koval from Winnick Avenue to Krueger Drive.

County Commissioner Jim Gibson said the public shouldn’t let the road closures be a deterrent to attending the draft, as it will be a free, family-friendly event.

“It’s important for the public to remember that in these areas with the draft here that essentially from the evening of the 27th when things really get cooking over there through the 30th, there will be a lot of foot traffic on these roadways,” Gibson said. “It is really important to note that there are no expenses associated with participating in any way with the activities of the draft. So, we encourage the entire community who’s always wanted to see one of these things, one of these NFL Drafts, to come out and be a part of it.”

There will be limited access to the Cromwell and Flamingo porte cocheres from eastbound Flamingo and then back out to westbound Flamingo.

Cederburg recommended multiple routes for those who need to travel east-west around the resort corridor during the closure at Las Vegas Boulevard and Flamingo.

Alternative east-west routes include:

— Harmon Avenue. With the recently completed Harmon/Valley View connection project, motorists can now access the Strip area via the flyover ramps in the area located just behind the Cosmopolitan and Aria resorts.

— Spring Mountain Road/Sands Avenue. The east-west road changes names at the Las Vegas Boulevard intersection and offers access near draft central at the Linq.

— Tropicana Avenue. Motorists can also use the already well-traveled Tropicana to travel to the Strip area from the east or the west.

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