Las Vegas Sun

March 19, 2024

Project Neon: Buckle up for months of roadwork, lane closures

Neon

Ricardo Torres-Cortez

A woman looks through Project Neon renderings during a Nevada Department of Transportation public meeting at the Historic Fifth Street School Wednesday, Dec. 7, 2016.

With a significant bulk of Project Neon construction expected in 2017, officials on Wednesday night hosted a renderings-oriented meeting to inform the public about the state of the project and upcoming road restrictions.

On the eve of the 389th day since the project was conceived, about a sixth of construction had been completed and just over $100 million spent, which is on track with previous expectations, said Nevada Department of Transportation Project Manager Dale Keller.

There are 950 contract days and $461 million in funding remaining, according to NDOT. The project design is 82 percent completed.

The project is the state’s largest and most expensive ever. Its limits are Interstate 15 between Sahara Avenue and the Spaghetti Bowl, Martin Luther King Boulevard to the west, and Industrial Road to the east.

U.S. 95

Starting in December and for two months, there will be 24-hour lane restrictions on U.S. 95 from the Spaghetti Bowl toward Las Vegas Boulevard.

Beginning in January and for three months, there will be 24-hour lane restrictions on U.S. 95 from the Spaghetti Bowl to Valley View Boulevard.

From February to June, all U.S. 95 traffic from the Spaghetti Bowl to Rancho Road will be shifted to southbound lanes. Two lanes will be open in each direction. The same restrictions will continue through December, only traffic will shift to northbound lanes in June.

During the same time frame, access from northbound U.S. 95 to Rancho Road will be closed.

From February to December, there will be periodic closures of Martin Luther King Boulevard for bridge demolition and construction.

The ramp from southbound Interstate 15 to northbound U.S. 95 will shut down for five weeks in the spring.

The southbound U.S. 95 to northbound I-15 ramp will close from June to December.

Interstate 15

Beginning in early 2017 and for three months, commuters should expect 24-hour lane restrictions from the Spaghetti Bowl through Washington Avenue.

For three months in the spring, I-15 commuters will encounter similar restrictions from the areas of Desert Inn to Flamingo roads.

Periodic night closures, including ramps, should be expected at those two portions during that time period.

Active Traffic Management

The restrictions will in part be due to the installation of 12 Active Traffic Management systems.

According to NDOT, the systems are full-color and high-resolution notification signs, which will alert motorists of alternate routes, incidents and traffic restrictions. They will be installed on U.S. 95 and I-15 near the Spaghetti Bowl, as far south as Sahara Avenue.

NDOT also announced restrictions to surface streets. For more information, visit, ndotprojectneon.com.

Meeting

About 50 attendees made their way downtown for the meeting at the Historic Fifth Street School. Large renderings of the project were displayed in the reception and hall areas. Attendees had the opportunity to take a virtual commute — with a steering wheel, gas and brake pedals and a screen — through the completed project.

Several residents of an apartment complex near Alta Drive and Martin Luther King showed up to express their frustration with construction noise. They said they're some of the few remaining in the neighborhood.

"There's no sleep, 2 o'clock, 3 o'clock, there's no sleep at all," said Andre Richardson, 56, adding that the work could be heard and felt indoors.

"Construction has deterred our way of life," said another of the residents named Apropos. She said she was also worried about the complex's foundation, since work is being done so close to the building.

During the public comment section, resident Steve Current expounded on the group's concerns and thanked project representatives who he said were addressing their problems.

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