‘Very important’ I-15/Tropicana interchange project in Las Vegas called complete

The $382 million Interstate 15/Tropicana Avenue Interchange project is substantially completed after 3½ years of road work and traffic headaches.

Gov. Joe Lombardo, Nevada Department of Transportation Director Tracy Larkin Thomason, U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, Rep. Susie Lee, Clark County commissioners Justin Jones and Tick Segerblom, the Raiderettes and Vegas Golden Knights Vivas were all on hand Tuesday morning atop a parking garage overlooking the new interchange for a ribbon cutting ceremony celebrating the end of the multiyear road project.

“It’s very important for economic development, and it’s very important for the future of Las Vegas and the state of Nevada,” Lombardo said of the project’s completion.

Bustling area

Over 60,000 vehicles travel through the interchange daily, and almost 300,000 vehicles use it during holiday weekends, according to NDOT. The transformative project was designed to improve travel near Allegiant Stadium, T-Mobile Arena, the south Strip and the Athletics’ under-construction Major League ballpark.

“This project is about far more than just moving cars,” Jones said. “It’s about strengthening our economy, keeping our community connected, ensuring our visitors and residents alike can access the businesses, entertainment and world-class events that make Las Vegas such an incredible city. We’ve got a Golden Knights game going on tonight. We’ve got a Raiders game going on this weekend. We’ve got the Aces in the playoffs … and we hope the A’s will be here in a few years. The gateway to all four of those sports teams is Tropicana.”

Collaboration key

Over $168 million of the project’s costs were paid for by Fuel Revenue Indexing, Jones said. The project in 2021 also received a $50 million federal grant.

“That investment shows what’s possible when we work together to fund projects that truly matter to Southern Nevadans and to our more than 50 million visitors,” Jones said. “This interchange is a shiny example of collaboration between state, federal and local partners.”

With several Strip properties within the project’s scope that are accessible by I-15 via freeway ramps between Russell and Flamingo, MGM Resorts International’s collaboration with state and local officials was key to getting the project done.

“I will tell you for our employees who have to access this part of the Strip every day, it has made travel so much easier,” said Ayesha Molino, MGM Resorts’ chief public affairs officer and president and chief operating officer of Aria and Vdara. “For the millions of our guests who access the Strip every single day, weekend, month and year, this project will be enormously impactful.”

MGM Resorts was in communication with state and local leaders throughout the process, as well as other stakeholders such as Allegiant Stadium and other businesses near the interchange.

“I wouldn’t say they were obstructive, they (MGM Resorts) were instructive,” Lombardo said. “I think it was important for us to have that conversation and that partnership because of the economic drivers that were necessary to continue in this vein. As you could imagine, when the Super Bowl was taking place, or F1 was taking place, there was a request to shut down construction during that process. But with the cooperation with MGM and those conversations, we were able to continue the project moving forward.”

Project details

The project, which kicked off in late May 2022, saw various improvements on I-15 and surrounding roads including:

Raising the Tropicana bridge over I-15 and widening it to four lanes in each direction, with wider sidewalks.

Adding and expanding freeway ramps on I-15 between Tropicana and Harmon Avenue, including the Harmon high occupancy vehicle half interchange.

Redesigning the Dean Martin Drive and Tropicana intersection.

Adding a Joey Bishop Drive connection built to keep traffic on Dean Martin flowing freely with the new Tropicana intersection.

Widening sidewalks, updating landscaping and increasing technology to assist drivers and pedestrians.

“This new interchange is about safety, efficiency and smart planning for Nevada’s future,” Cortez Masto said. “We are one of the fastest growing states in the country. A bigger population means increased demand on our roads, especially at this vital intersection.”

The project led to years of traffic impacts along the stretch of I-15, including “Dropicana,” when the Tropicana bridge over the freeway was demolished and rebuilt during multiple overnight full directional closures; the diverging diamond Interchange that was in place on the Tropicana bridge; and the closure of the eastbound I-15 southbound flyover ramp to Tropicana for nearly three years as it was being raised.

The project supported over 700 jobs. Kiewit Infrastructure West was the project’s general contractor, overseeing the work of 42 subcontractors.

With the major project now completed, Larkin Thomason said nobody is more excited than her to finally have the project finished.

“This has been an incredible project,” Larkin Thomason said. “There were a lot of hiccups along the way. Then with the inclusion of the Super Bowl and F1, my biggest part after each one of those events was that NDOT was not in the news, which means traffic running. That’s all thanks to the team.”

Contact Mick Akers at makers@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2920. Follow @mickakers on X.