Strip lanes to close for Bellagio water show construction

Three traffic lanes in front of the Bellagio will be blocked along the southbound Las Vegas Strip for four days next week as show producers build a stage for a performance on the property's lake in mid-August.

Officials with MGM Resorts International announced Friday that the three lanes closest to the property — the right turn lane into the Bellagio and two travel lanes — will be closed for 200 feet.

The sidewalks on the west side of Las Vegas Boulevard also will be closed intermittently and pedestrians rerouted to the east side of the street during the project, which will run Monday through Thursday.

Bellagio contractors are building a 165-foot stage on the 8 ½-acre lake in front of the property for five live 30-minute Kabuki Spectacle performances with the Bellagio fountains as a backdrop.

Presentations of the Kabuki show "Koi Tsukami (Fight with a Carp)" are scheduled Aug. 14 at 9:15 p.m. and Aug. 15-16 at 9:15 and 11:30 p.m.

Japanese actor Ichikawa Somegoro will clash with a giant carp in a show that blends animation and water choreography with live action.

MGM officials are encouraging motorists to avoid southbound Las Vegas Boulevard during construction, which will include the use of a crane from the street.

The construction zone will run the length of the Bellagio lake fountain alcoves and will include 20-foot tapered merge lanes on the north and south ends of the project. Left-turn lanes into the Paris property across the street won't be affected by the lane closures.

Contact Richard N. Velotta at rvelotta@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3893. Find him on Twitter: @RickVelotta