Labor Day traffic clogs I-15 at California-Nevada border

Motorists traveling from Las Vegas to Southern California on Interstate 15 faced some delays Monday as Labor Day weekend ended.

As of 4:20 p.m., there was a 10-mile backup along Interstate 15 near Primm, the Regional Transportation Commission tweeted Monday afternoon.

#FASTALERT
9/6/2021 4:20 PM
Heavy Traffic I-15 South to California
10 Mile Back-Up
Expect Long Delays

— RTC Southern Nevada (@RTCSNV) September 6, 2021

The traffic nightmare on southbound I-15 is a rite of passage for motorists on holiday weekends leaving Las Vegas. But this year’s backup seemed tame in comparison to last year and recent summer weekends.

On Labor Day in 2020, there was a 22-mile backup on I-15 at 1:30 p.m. On July 5 earlier this summer, there was a 20-mile backup on I-15 at 2:35 p.m. And on Memorial Day, there was a 26-mile backup on I-15 by 10:30 a.m., according to the RTC and traffic monitoring websites.

Las Vegas tourism experts had expressed confidence that the Labor Day weekend would attract solid visitation. But there were concerns that the calamities of COVID-19, wildfires and the aftermath of a hurricane would keep some people at home.

Also, a spokesman for Lake Mead National Recreation Area said the park appeared less crowded that usual on Labor Day. The park usually gets about 125,000 visitors on a typical Labor Day weekend, said spokesman Justin Pattison.