The Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) recently broke ground on the $73 million next phase of the Centennial Bowl interchange in northwest Las Vegas.
The interchange is where U.S. Highway 95 meets the 215 Beltway. Las Vegas Paving is the general contractor for the project, with a construction contract valued at $61.5 million.
“This interchange connection greatly enhances traffic, mobility and motorist safety while establishing a new gateway corridor for the Centennial area,” said NDOT Director Rudy Malfabon, in a release. “Currently, over 107,500 vehicles daily travel the ramps and freeways at U.S. 95 and the 215 Beltway, and it’s only expected to grow in the future.”
The project calls for removing part of the Oso Blanca Road ramp and the old north-to-west loop, thereby making room for three new freeway flyover ramp connections, including: eastbound 215 Beltway to U.S. Highway 95 southbound as well as southbound U.S. Highway 95 to eastbound 215 Beltway, and northbound U.S. Highway 95 to 215 Beltway westbound. Flyover ramps enable direct freeway-to-freeway connections while still maintaining highway travel speeds for greater efficiency and safety. Also, the structures require little right-of-way and eliminate the current stop-and-go surface street travel currently needed when navigating the interchange.
Construction entails building the state’s second longest bridge. The 75-ft-tall by 39-ft-wide concrete box girder structure will measure 2,635 ft, or the equivalent of seven football fields. The two-lane flyover bridge will connect north-to-west freeway traffic. Plans also call for constructing a south-to-east flyover roughly the same length as 26 bowling lanes laid end-to-end. Other improvements entail drainage upgrades and new lighting, landscaping and Intelligent Traffic System (ITS) enhancements.
The project will create up to 150 jobs during the peak of construction activity. The upgrades are being underwritten through a combination of federal ($19 million) and state ($54 million) funds. Work is scheduled to finish in the Spring of 2021.
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Source: Nevada DOT
