A ‘big deal’ for northwest valley as road project reaches milestone

The $272 million Centennial Bowl in northwest Las Vegas hit substantial completion Monday, marking the end of major work on the yearslong project.

The project included the construction of 20 bridges; improvements to surface street networks; the addition of a new multiuse trail; and enhanced access to Kyle Canyon.

Freeway improvement with the project included the U.S. Highway 95 to 215 Beltway system interchange that is the Centennial Bowl, along with enhancing capacity to both freeways and adding HOV lanes and access to U.S. 95. The final phase of work included direct freeway connections from U.S. 95 to 215 westbound, 215 westbound to U.S. 95 northbound, and 215 eastbound to U.S. 95 northbound.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrating the milestone was held Monday morning near the Centennial Bowl. The event was attended by Gov. Joe Lombardo and Nevada Department of Transportation Director Tracy Larkin Thomason.

Counting previous work on U.S. 95 and planning, the project is 15 years in the making, but construction on the actual interchange didn’t begin until 2015, according to NDOT spokesman Justin Hopkins.

All of the work is tied to the larger $579 million U.S. 95 Northwest Corridor Improvements Project, which spans 13 miles of U.S. 95 from Kyle Canyon Road to Washington Avenue.

Local access was improved in the last phase with Skye Pointe Drive being relocated and widened to connect Centennial Parkway to Azure Drive.

The designation of “substantial completion” means some minor features still need to be addressed.

The biggest part that remains to be opened is a realignment of Oso Blanca Road, which is scheduled to be ready by Dec. 23, Hopkins noted. That will link Centennial Center Boulevard and Lone Mountain Road.

These new local access points opens up easier access for residents living on either side of U.S. 95 to shopping centers and other areas on the opposite side, without having to travel on the highway.

“It’s more than a network of roads and bridges, it connects communities and businesses, fostering growth and prosperity in this very booming part of northwest Las Vegas,” Thomason said. “It will bring people together, reduce travel times and create more opportunities for residents and businesses.”

The massive upgrade project was also aimed at beefing up the road system in the area where traffic has already increased and is expected to explode in the coming years. The daily traffic volume on U.S. 95 corridor in the northwest valley today is 132,000 vehicles per day, with that number expected to grow to 217,000 per day by 2040, according to NDOT.

“So 15 years ago I would’ve never imagined the exponential growth of North Las Vegas,” Gov. Joe Lombardo said. “Now the Centennial area is a growing and bustling community full of new developments and new businesses. Through the completion of the project we’re going to be able to utilize new infrastructure to better connect northwest Las Vegas and the heart of the valley. This is a big deal.”

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