Boulder Highway is now safer for pedestrians in Henderson; more changes coming

Henderson officials touted progress made as a $172 million project to remake Boulder Highway wrapped up its first year of work.

The Henderson-led project is upgrading the highway between Wagon Wheel and Tulip Falls drives — a 7.5-mile stretch of roadway that accounts for 25 percent of traffic deaths in the city.

Plans call for reducing the number of traffic lanes from six to four while upgrading pedestrian features, including wider sidewalks, adding a multiuse lane on both sides of the road and improving lighting. The project will also create a center-run bus rapid transit system and add elevated bike lanes on both sides of the roadway.

During the first year, crews have achieved the following:

— Added more than 20,000 feet of storm drain, including five major connections near Lake Mead and Sunset Road, to reduce the chance of flooding in the area.

— Upgraded wiring at 17 intersections and installed 105 new streets lights to improve lighting and traffic flow in the area. Also, over 50,000 feet of conduit was laid that will provide power to future lighting and traffic signal systems.

— Laid 66,000 square yards of asphalt for the future bus rapid transit system, with 8,000 square yards of red concrete bus stops. Bus rapid transit features buses with higher capacity, more frequent station locations than traditional Regional Transportation Commission bus service.

— Installed pedestrian improvements including 18,000 square feet of new sidewalks, 66 ADA-accessible ramps and over 4,000 feet of curb and gutters.

— Relocated important water, electric, gas and internet lines that will help prevent potential service disruptions near Boulder Highway.

“The amount of work that has been completed in only a year sets the stage for more visible improvements ahead,” Henderson City Manager and CEO Stephanie Garcia-Vause said in a statement. “When completed, Boulder Highway will better serve our community, including those who use and live around the corridor.”

Crews will next focus on surface-level upgrades that are aimed at making Boulder Highway safer for all road users, especially pedestrians. Plans call for the upgrade in Henderson to wrap up in 2027.

Boulder Highway was created in 1931 as a highway with the construction of Hoover Dam. Talks about upgrading the full 15-mile Boulder Highway began over 20 years ago as areas around the highway began to develop. There are now 20,000 homes, apartments and condominiums and 970 commercial lots within a half-mile radius of Boulder Highway.

Talks are underway over revamping the remaining 7.5 miles of Boulder Highway outside of Henderson’s scope, with work carried out by the city of Las Vegas, Clark County, the RTC and Nevada Department of Transportation.

There is no time frame to when that portion of work is slated to begin.

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