EAST LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Businesses along Maryland Parkway may soon see relief as the RTC’s RED LINE construction project nears completion after months of major disruptions along the corridor.
The Regional Transportation Commission hosted a meeting Wednesday at UNLV to provide construction updates and discuss what businesses and commuters can expect in the coming months as work wraps up.
WATCH | RED LINE construction ending as Maryland Pkwy. businesses brave losses
For many business owners, the construction has taken a financial toll.
“We just have to pray and make it through this storm,” said Mark “Sketch” Somoza, owner of King of Hearts Tattoo Las Vegas. “Although it’s going to be great in the future, for now it’s been really hard on us.”
Somoza says construction along Maryland Parkway has made it difficult for customers to access his business over the last several months.
Sam Maxion, owner of the DJ Museum, says the economic impact has been significant.
“The revenue that we lost through the construction we can’t get back and that’s something that is challenging at the moment,” Maxion said.
RTC officials acknowledged the frustrations businesses have faced but say the long-term improvements will benefit the community for years to come.
“We’d like to say it’s going to be worth it in the end,” RTC Chair Justin Jones said. “We appreciate all you’ve done to contribute to this process.”
The RED LINE project includes roadway improvements, upgraded bus infrastructure, larger sidewalks, and additional street lighting along Maryland Parkway.
Jones says the project will improve connectivity across the Las Vegas valley, especially for students, healthcare workers, and transit riders.
“We’re right here at UNLV,” Jones said. “It is going to connect their main campus to the medical district in the city of Las Vegas. It connects the airport to several of our hospitals, so it’s really a healthcare transportation corridor for the thousands of residents who use transportation in this corridor every single day.”
Some commuters say they are already noticing improvements.
“I think just in general infrastructure has been a lot better,” said Max Yamat, a UNLV student and bus rider. “They fixed the roads. I’m sure it’s a lot safer for cars to come and go.”
RTC officials say most of the major construction is expected to be completed by the end of the year. Smaller asphalt projects are still planned from April through June of next year, but officials say those disruptions will be much more limited compared to the earlier phases of construction.
