LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — "The resort corridor is fully open for business."
That's the word from Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) Communications Director Joe Harrington, as local and state officials gathered in Las Vegas Tuesday morning for the ribbon cutting for the I-15/Tropicana Project.
WATCH | The day has finally come. Guy Tannenbaum speaks with relieved locals on the completion of the Tropicana project
The three-year, more than $350 million project reconfigured everything about the Interstate 15 and Tropicana Avenue interchange in the heart of the resort corridor along the Las Vegas Strip.
"We're done, finally!" local driver Eddie Brooks exclaimed.
Brooks moved to Las Vegas two years ago, when work on the I-15/Tropicana Project was well underway.
"It was traffic all over the place," Brooks recalled. "You had to wait in line, you had to stop and go, stop and go. It was highly congested."
Now, after years of work and many freeway closures, lane reductions and countless detours, officials have marked the full completion of the project.
Watch the ribbon-cutting moment here:
Federal, state and local elected leaders in attendance included Nevada Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Rep. Susie Lee (D-NV), Gov. Joe Lombardo (R) and Clark County Commissioners Tick Segerblom (D), Justin Jones (D) and Jim Gibson (D).
"This project is like completing heart surgery on the city," said NDOT Project Manager Dallan Affleck in an interview Tuesday.
The interchange is a vital connection for Las Vegas — handling upwards of 60,000 commuters a day — and the I-15/Tropicana project added new on and off ramps, wider sidewalks, better signage and a totally redesigned intersection at Tropicana and Dean Martin Drive — including the addition of a new road underneath Trop called Joey Bishop Drive.
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Major Tropicana intersection sees redesign aimed to improve traffic flow
The Nevada Department of Transportation has officially reopened the intersection of Dean Martin Drive and Tropicana, a part of the larger I-15/Tropicana Interchange project.
Here's how the new Tropicana Avenue traffic restrictions will affect you
As NDOT moves into Phase 5 of the Tropicana Interchanged Project, there will be new traffic restrictions on the west side of Tropicana Avenue.
It's main focus, though, was "Dropicana," when NDOT crews tore down the original Tropicana bridge over I-15 that was built in 1966, and replaced it with a brand new, wider and safer bridge that's designed to handle all the traffic in the area, especially on event days at nearby Allegiant Stadium, T-Mobile Arena and Michelob ULTRA Arena — the latter two actually hosting games the day of the ribbon cutting, with the Vegas Golden Knights opening up their NHL preseason slate against the Los Angeles Kings, and the Las Vegas Aces hosting the Indiana Fever in the second round of the WNBA playoffs.
"Not only are we increasing the flow and reducing congestion [on the interchange], we're also improving the safety through here," NDOT Project Engineer Bryan Snider said in an interview. "We're making it safer to travel, we're making it easier to travel and we're making it safer for pedestrians."
"We are one of the fastest growing states in the country," said Sen. Cortez Masto. "A bigger population means increased demands on our roads, including this vital intersection we all know so well."
Snider says the project was designed and built with the future in mind.
"The numbers will increase, but it should be able to handle any kind of growth for the next 50-plus years," Snider said.
It didn't come without tons of traffic troubles along the way, though, but local drivers say all of that is in their rear view mirror.
"Now, it's like smooth running," Brooks said. "I can slide right through, I love it."
All lanes of Tropicana over I-15 actually opened in early May, and we covered that live on Good Morning Las Vegas. You can watch that broadcast here:
Federal, state and local leaders praised the project's completion, and the collaborative effort it took across all levels of government to get it done.
"It's very important for economic development, it's very important for the future of Las Vegas and the state of Nevada," Gov. Lombardo said at the ribbon cutting event. "On behalf of the state of Nevada, thank you."
"All of [the upgrades] make this corridor not only safer, but also more welcoming, and reflective of our community's character," Commissioner Jones said.
"This is more than an interstate," Rep. Lee said. "It's a lifeline for tourism and for everyday Nevadans trying to get to work, school and home."
Even though the I-15/Tropicana Project is officially wrapped up, there's still a ton of construction going on all over town.
If you have any questions about road work in your part of the valley, feel free to email me at Guy.Tannenbaum@KTNV.com.
Check out our previous coverage of the I-15/Tropicana Project here:
