To accommodate a separate plan to build a pedestrian bridge providing access to the Las Vegas Stadium from the Strip, Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) officials are reexamining a $200 million project that includes reconstruction of the I-15 Tropicana interchange and the addition of high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) ramps at the Harmon Avenue and Hacienda Avenue overpasses.
The high-occupancy ramps were planned before the stadium was conceived, so NDOT has been working with the Raiders, casino properties and other stakeholders to figure out the best option for the HOV lanes.
As the HOV lane portions stalls, an environmental clearance study for the Tropicana Avenue interchange is moving forward as planned. Built in the 1960s, the Tropicana interchange design is outdated and in need of an upgrade for not only vehicle traffic, but for pedestrians as well. With T-Mobile Arena on the east side of the interchange and such business as a heavily trafficked In-N-Out on the west side, the junction is the site of significant foot traffic, officials said.
The work at Tropicana also will create a possibility to widen I-15, which currently is hemmed in by the bridge supports for the current interchange.
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Source: Las Vegas Sun
