A major Las Vegas Highway is getting a big make-over! In a few years, Summerlin Parkway will not look the same.
It's a joint project between the City of Las Vegas and the Nevada Department of Transportation.
Many commuters are emotionally invested in this project.
Just last year, two people died in a crash on Summerlin Parkway after a drunk driver crossed the median into oncoming traffic. This three-phase renovation hopes to make the roads a lot safer.
The project will include construction of a rail system in the median from Buffalo Drive to the Summerlin Parkway/215 interchange.
The project will also improve the Rampart Boulevard off-ramp by adding another lane, making it a two-lane off-ramp. That’s just one of the many lanes that will be added to the highway.
"When they built it we kind of wondered why there were only two lanes in some places when obviously the population was going to grow up there and expand," said Summerlin resident Marlyne Rohan.
Lights will also be added and the existing traffic signal system will be modified.
"This is a good opportunity for us to upgrade the parkway, upgrade safety along the parkways as well as improve traffic flow for everyone who uses the parkway," said project engineer Eric Moyer.
The total cost of the renovation is 11.3 million dollars.
Construction will begin in the Spring of 2016, but there's no telling when it will be finished because the city is still securing money for the last phase of the project.
For a detailed outline of the project, click here.
