LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — In 1996, construction was completed on a project that revolutionized how locals get around in the Las Vegas Valley.
Desert Inn Road (DI) was re-routed over I-15 and underneath Las Vegas Boulevard, helping drivers bypass the frequent congestion on the Strip.
WATCH | What upgrades are coming to DI?
Its lesser known official name is the "Desert Inn Super Arterial," and it's become one of the busiest thoroughfares in town, handling more than 70,000 commuters every single day.
Almost 30 years later, it's getting a much-needed upgrade from Clark County Public Works crews that will make it safer for valley drivers.
When I was driving through the DI tunnel recently, I saw some lanes reduced and construction crews in the tunnel and wondered what they were working on, and if you drive it every day, you've probably asked yourself the same thing.
"Yes I have wondered, but there's always something going on, it seems like," Kristin Leva said.
Leva is a longtime Las Vegas local, and tells me she's a frequent flier on DI.
"It's one of my favorite streets," Leva said. "I've lived here for 40 years, and it's pretty torn up."
But why is it torn up?
"The biggest change [drivers will] notice is the upgrades to the lighting system within the tunnel," said Clark County Public Works Construction Manager Jonathan Morales.
Morales tells me the DI tunnel still has its original lighting system from 1996, and it was time for a high-tech upgrade to energy efficient smart LEDs.
"You're mimicking the outside light," Morales said.
So, how does it all work?
Morales says there will be a sensor that can determine the brightness and color of the light outside the tunnel, and make the LEDs inside the tunnel that color and brightness too.
"Just as any commuter enters a tunnel, you get that variance in lighting–your eyes are shifting, they're adjusting to the lighting inside," Morales said. "This will allow natural light through the tunnel system, and allow for driver improvement and safety going through it."
The county is also improving the median on DI–what they call a "barrier rail" — making it taller, sturdier and ultimately safer.
That means we have to say goodbye to the little green vertical strips on the median that we're so accustomed to seeing while driving on DI though, known as "glare screens."
"It's a nostalgic look to see those glare screens, and their purpose is to block any kind of glare from oncoming traffic as you travel on DI," Morales said. "Those glare screens are not coming back–the barrier rail is at a heightened level to where it'll block that glare, removes the maintenance needs when [the glare screens] get damaged and makes it safer for drivers."
I asked Morales how important the Desert Inn tunnel is on a day to day basis from the county's perspective.
"Incredibly important," he replied. "It was originally intended to remove the congestion from the resort corridor on Las Vegas Boulevard to allow a bypass through the city, so it's incredibly important for all the commuters trying to get to and from work, as well as home."
The county's safety upgrades are welcome news for drivers like Kristin Leva.
"I think that's great, absolutely," Leva said. "If they can just finish it that would be nice."
We'll still be dealing with lane restrictions on Desert Inn across the Super Arterial for a couple more months, but Clark County Public Works officials tell me they expect to wrap up this project in December.