Driving to Phoenix from Las Vegas? This crucial road project is halfway done

A pair of road projects totaling $186 million between Las Vegas and Phoenix are making progress that will lead to a smoother commute between the two desert southwest cities.

Work on the $106 million Interstate 40/U.S. Highway 93 interchange in Kingman, Arizona, and the $80.6 million U.S. 93 Cane Springs highway widening projects are both at the halfway point, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation.

The interchange is the source of routine bottlenecks where motorists transfer between I-40 and U.S. 93, where I-40 intersects with Beale Street in Kingman. The project is slated to improve traffic by creating a system-to-system interchange with ramps to allow traffic to flow freely between the two highways.

A little over a year into the project, crews have built multiple new structures that will be part of the interchange including part of a bridge that will connect traffic from U.S. 93 southbound to I-40 eastbound at Clacks Canyon, ADOT spokesman Garin Groff said. Two tunnels are also in place that will see future U.S. 93 traffic pass over two local roads.

Outside of the new structures, work continues on other aspects of the yearslong road project.

“Earthwork is underway throughout the project area,” Groff said. “This includes excavation along southbound U.S. 93 and building up an embankment on I-40 where ramps will connect it to U.S. 93.”

The remaining work includes widening existing bridges at the interchange and building news ones.

“Crews will also need to pave the milelong ramps between I-40 and U.S. 93, along with additional lanes being constructed on both highways,” Groff said.

As work continues, ADOT will maintain existing travel lanes during peak travel times, but closures over the next two months are planned at night, Groff said.

“Motorists should plan for overnight blasting work that will require closures through October on U.S. 93 just north of Kingman between the I-40/U.S. 93 interchange and the U.S. 93/State Route 68 interchange,” he said.

The evening closures will occur on select weeknights between 8 and 9 p.m., Groff said.

When the project is completed in 2027, motorists should expect a better flowing connection between the two highways, while keeping local access to Kingman.

“The ramps linking I-40 and U.S. 93 will mean drivers will no longer need to stop at a signal on Beale Street at I-40,” Groff said. “However, that interchange will remain to maintain access to downtown Kingman, Route 66 and other destinations.”

Once complete, drivers heading to Phoenix from Las Vegas will encounter a new interchange just south of where the off-ramp to Beale is on U.S. 93. Drivers will still be able to exit U.S. 93 at Beale to downtown Kingman, where gas stations and other businesses are located.

After U.S. 93 southbound merges with I-40 eastbound at the new interchange the interstate will be four lanes in each direction, until the Cerbat Cliffs Golf Course, where it will go down to three lanes. I-40 will then be reduced to two travel lanes once it reaches the Stockton Hill Road exit.

Motorists heading from Phoenix to Las Vegas on I-40 westbound to U.S. 93 northbound will have three travel lanes from Stockton Hills Road until just before the new interchange. There, two lanes will merge to U.S. 93 while two lanes will continue to I-40 westbound.

U.S. 93 widening

The $80.6 U.S. 93 Cane Springs construction began in January, with crews constructing 4 miles of divided highway from mileposts 106 to 110 between Wikieup, Arizona, and I-40.

The four-mile stretch of U.S. 93 is currently a two-lane undivided portion of highway.

Crews have completed earthwork for the highway’s new southbound lanes and are turning to building new bridges for the project.

“The main focus now is constructing a pair of 132-foot-long bridges at Cane Springs Wash,” Groff said.

Bridge piers and girders are in place now for both structures, Groff said.

Remaining work on the project includes building the bridge decks, and once those are in place traffic will shift to the new structures late in the project. Thereafter, crews will remove the existing bridge over Cane Springs Wash.

The new southbound lanes are slated to open in the spring, with the project’s completion scheduled for spring 2027.

Contact Mick Akers at makers@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2920. Follow @mickakers on X. Send questions and comments to roadwarrior@reviewjournal.com.