LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — On Sunday, people hit the highway to get home after spending Thanksgiving with families and friends.
Visitors leaving Las Vegas caused an 18-mile backup on Interstate 15.
“This weekend, it was terrible. I anticipate the drive home will be terrible as well,” said Abel Revilla who lives just outside of Pasadena. Revilla said a drive that would normally take him about three-and-a-half hours will most likely be double that.
“I think it’s going to be more than five hours for me,” Revilla said.
Michael Vega was making the trip from California to Utah.
“Yeah, the traffic is not good at all, and the cops are out,” Vega said.
Thanksgiving travelers had plenty of company on the roads as they set off to see friends and family, many of them for the first time in a while.
“I keep telling myself I just have to roll with it, it is what it is,” Vega said.
In recent months, Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman has called for the widening of I-15 between the Nevada state line and Barstow. Goodman said the majority of the congestion is coming from the California side and, if nothing is done, the bottleneck battle will only get worse.
“The stretch of I-15 between State line NV and Barstow is an incredibly important infrastructure asset to Southern Nevada. It is time to widen this economic lifeline,” Goodman said.
For all those in Southern California making plans to visit @CityOfLasVegas over the Thanksgiving holiday, please have a wonderful & safe time in our city. If you do NOT enjoy your long ride back down the I-15 after your fun here, let @GavinNewsom & @CaltransHQ know your thoughts.
— Carolyn G. Goodman (@mayoroflasvegas) November 18, 2021
For now, California officials said they have no plans to make improvements and are instead hoping the pending high-speed train will solve the problem.
“The sooner the better and hopefully the bullet train will help too,” Revilla said.
