New one-way streets implemented this week in downtown Las Vegas

By Mick Akers

Thursday, Sept. 7, 2017 | 2 a.m.

New permanent one-way streets near the popular Arts District in downtown Las Vegas this week may have motorists doing double takes.

As part of an ongoing project to improve traffic flow, Main Street was converted to one-way northbound only from Charleston Boulevard to north of Gass Avenue on Tuesday. Starting at 11:30 p.m. Friday, Main Street will be one-way between Las Vegas Boulevard and Charleston Boulevard.

When the city has converted other streets become one direction, such as Bonneville/Clark and Fourth Street, it usually takes a couple of weeks for drivers to get acclimated. If any crashes occur in the first few weeks of opening, they are not reflective of long-term operations, city spokesman Margaret Kurtz said.

“Some drivers are so used to driving a segment of road every day that they become oblivious to new signs and markings, such as those calling for one-way traffic,” Kurtz said.

The changes of the initial portion of the one-way conversion on Main Street has gone smoothly so far, Kurtz said.

“We are not aware of any crashes or incidents on Main Street in the section that became one-way at 5:30 a.m. Tuesday,” she said.

Additionally, Commerce Street is a permanent one-way street northbound from Charleston Boulevard to the intersection of Commerce/Oakey Boulevard/Main Street.

Main Street will be one-way northbound only from Las Vegas Boulevard to north of Gass Avenue. The block of Main Street between Garces and Bonneville avenues will have two-way traffic permanently.

Commerce Street remains one-way southbound only from Main Street to Oakey Boulevard. This is a permanent change — not just during construction.

Eastbound and westbound traffic on Charleston Boulevard will have access to Commerce south of Charleston and to Main Street north of Charleston.

Construction along Main Street is ongoing on the west side of the street; traffic is only allowed on the east side until early 2018. After that construction will be moved to the east side and traffic will be moved to the west side until project completion in late summer 2018.

Business access in the area will remain open at all times.

Construction along Commerce is complete north of Charleston. South of Charleston, construction on Commerce will continue until late October.

When Phase 2 of the Main Street project is finished in late summer 2018, Main and Commerce streets will create a one-way couplet — a pair of one-way streets with opposing travel lanes— between Las Vegas Boulevard and Bonneville. The couplet will see traffic moving northbound on Main and southbound on Commerce.

The stretch of Main Street includes several popular establishments, including Makers & Finders, Casa Don Juan and Velveteen Rabbit.

When completed, the new traffic patterns and features will serve a multitude of functions, according to Kurtz.

“We’re hoping this will enable us to go forward better with construction, and improve pedestrian safety as we widen the sidewalks and add trees, improve the trees, the lighting, making it more pedestrian-friendly the whole length of the area,” Kurtz said. “It will also improve traffic flow, so when we have it completed for Main Street and the Commerce couplet, we’ll have southbound traffic on Commerce and northbound traffic on Main Street.”