I-15 southbound reopens after suspicious package investigated

By KIMBER LAUX LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL

11 years ago

Bomb sniffing robot navigates through I-15 South where metro police investigate a suspicious package on southbound Interstate 15, in the 3300 block of Hacienda Avenue and Dean Martin Drive, near the Hacienda overpass, on Oct. 2, 2014. Southbound lanes on I-15 are closed at Tropicana Avenue and traffic is being diverted. (Bizu Tesfaye/Las Vegas Review-Journal)

Metro police investigate a suspicious package on southbound Interstate 15, in the 3300 block of Hacienda Avenue and Dean Martin Drive, near the Hacienda overpass. Southbound lanes on I-15 are closed at Tropicana Avenue and traffic is being diverted. (Bizu Tesfaye/Las Vegas Review-Journal)

Traffic on northbound Interstate 15 continues to move while the southbound lanes are closed at Tropicana Avenue. Law enforcement officials are investigating a suspicious package found along the roadway. (Bizu Tesfaye/Las Vegas Review-Journal)

A Nevada Highway Patrol trooper is shown near the closure of southbound Interstate 15 at Tropicana Avenue. Law enforcement officials are investigating a suspicious package found along the roadway. (Bizu Tesfaye/Las Vegas Review-Journal)

Southbound Interstate 15 is closed at Tropicana for a police investigation. (Courtesy FAST Cameras)

Southbound lanes on I-15 are closed at Tropicana Avenue and traffic is being diverted as Metro police investigate a suspicious package on southbound Interstate 15, in the 3300 block of Hacienda Avenue and Dean Martin Drive, near the Hacienda overpass, on Oct. 2, 2014. (Bizu Tesfaye/Las Vegas Review-Journal)

Bomb sniffing robot arrives at the scene where metro police investigate a suspicious package on southbound Interstate 15, in the 3300 block of Hacienda Avenue and Dean Martin Drive, near the Hacienda overpass, on Oct. 2, 2014. Southbound lanes on I-15 are closed at Tropicana Avenue and traffic is being diverted. (Bizu Tesfaye/Las Vegas Review-Journal)

Member of the Las Vegas Fire & Rescue Bomb Squad adjusts the bomb sniffing robot as metro police investigate a suspicious package on southbound Interstate 15, in the 3300 block of Hacienda Avenue and Dean Martin Drive, near the Hacienda overpass, on Oct. 2, 2014. Southbound lanes on I-15 are closed at Tropicana Avenue and traffic is being diverted. (Bizu Tesfaye/Las Vegas Review-Journal)

Bomb sniffing robot is unloaded from Las Vegas Fire & Rescue truck as metro police investigate a suspicious package on southbound Interstate 15, in the 3300 block of Hacienda Avenue and Dean Martin Drive, near the Hacienda overpass, on Oct. 2, 2014. Southbound lanes on I-15 are closed at Tropicana Avenue and traffic is being diverted. (Bizu Tesfaye/Las Vegas Review-Journal)

Metro police investigate a suspicious package on southbound Interstate 15, in the 3300 block of Hacienda Avenue and Dean Martin Drive, near the Hacienda overpass, on Oct. 2, 2014. Southbound lanes on I-15 are closed at Tropicana Avenue and traffic is being diverted. (Bizu Tesfaye/Las Vegas Review-Journal)

Southbound Interstate 15 near Tropicana Avenue reopened after Las Vegas police investigated a suspicious package for nearly three hours Thursday afternoon.

Nevada Highway Patrol began diverting traffic just before 2 p.m. from I-15 at Tropicana onto Dean Martin Drive while Metro and the Las Vegas Fire Department investigated.

A bomb-detecting robot was unloaded from a Fire Department truck just before 3:30 p.m.

The package was against a concrete barrier on the right shoulder of the freeway, just south of Tropicana. It was a bag without a definite shape, according to NHP trooper Loy Hixson.

Drivers were able to re-enter the freeway at Russell Road, Hixson said, but heavy delays ensued.

The Nevada Department of Transportation tweeted at 4:40 p.m. that the road was reopened.

Contact Kimber Laux at klaux@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0381. Find her on Twitter: @lauxkimber.