LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — A traffic nightmare on Monday morning's commute might've had you scratching your head if you were on northbound I-15 through the resort corridor in Las Vegas, so we looked into why it happened and asked the Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) for answers.
Getting answers and gauging local thought — what's making these I-15 commutes so long?
Whether you were stuck in that really nasty backup or not, drivers I spoke with Tuesday afternoon say more I-15 construction brings all of us more headaches.
"Construction puts a big hold on the city, man," said Las Vegas local Andre Price. "A lot of people travel in and out daily, especially people who work on the Strip, it's a pain for them."
Coming off the completion of the I-15/Tropicana Project in September, you might be wondering "what are they working on now?"
NDOT says they're installing technology that better monitors traffic flow and testing wrong way driver alert systems between Tropicana and Russell along I-15, which is why they need to implement overnight lane restrictions and ramp closures through both directions of the resort corridor through the end of the week.
Closures are supposed to take effect after 8 p.m. and wrap up around 6 a.m. the following day, but come 6 o'clock Monday morning, the 15 was still a mess.
So… what happened? I asked NDOT that exact question.
A spokesperson told me the contractor working on the project got delayed on Monday because of "some conditions in the field, and they had to finish the work in order to make it safe for drivers."
You also might be asking, "why didn't all this work get done before the I-15/Tropicana Project wrapped up a few months ago?"
NDOT says the technology that helps monitor traffic flow on I-15 and its on and off ramps — known as "loop detectors" — didn't get installed because they didn't have materials for it, due to supply chain issues during the I-15/Tropicana Project.
The wrong way alert systems actually did get installed at the Tropicana and Harmon interchanges, though, but NDOT says they weren't ready for testing until now.
It's part of NDOT's broader roll out of wrong way driver alert systems across Southern Nevada, which will last through at least 2027.
It's taking a while because each system costs $300,000 per ramp, and interchanges have multiple ramps, so the costs to install them can be extreme.
Right now there are four wrong way driver alert systems in place and operational: at I-15 and Starr Avenue, and along I-11/US-95 in the northwest valley at Durango, Skye Canyon and Kyle Canyon Road.
There are currently three under construction on the 215 Southern Beltway at Las Vegas Boulevard, Warm Springs and Windmill. NDOT says those will move into the testing phase upon completion of construction.
Construction on six new wrong way driver alert systems along I-11/US-95 from the Spaghetti Bowl to Lake Mead Boulevard is slated for late 2026 and early 2027.
I asked drivers if knowing this current round of construction is for potentially life-saving technology makes it easier to tolerate backups on their commutes.
"It's still a mess, for sure, but I think it's very helpful," Andre Price told me. "If you're helping prevent fatalities, anything to do that can help for sure. It's not so bad, just a time consuming thing."
It's worth noting that Tuesday morning's commute was much smoother, however we're going to be seeing more lane restrictions and ramp closures through the rest of the week.
In fact, NDOT says they're extending the schedule of this project to reduce the likelihood of work spilling into the morning drive again — like what happened on Monday — but it's still a really good idea to leave a little earlier and plan ahead for delays in your morning commute, just in case.
Here's a full look at upcoming lane restrictions and ramp closures on I-15 through the end of the week, according to NDOT:
9:00 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 2 to 5:00 a.m. Wednesday, Dec. 3:
- Northbound I-15 off-ramp to Harmon Ave closed
- Northbound I-15 reduced to two lanes between Russell Road and Hacienda Avenue
Nightly (8:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m.) Tuesday, Dec. 2 to Friday, Dec. 5 (three nights):
- Southbound I-15 reduced to two lanes between Hacienda Avenue and Russell Road
- Northbound I-15 Collector-Distributor Road reduced to one lane between Russell Road and Hacienda Avenue
9:00 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 3 to 5:00 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 4:
- Northbound I-15 off-ramp to Tropicana Avenue closed
