Cluster of I-15, Charleston ramp closures to begin in Las Vegas

Construction on a handful of Interstate 15 and Charleston Boulevard freeway ramps will lead to road closures in upcoming days, with some closures lasting more than a month.

The first set of closures begins at 10 p.m. Friday and lasts until 6 a.m. Monday when the I-15 northbound offramp to Charleston Boulevard eastbound and the Charleston Boulevard onramp to I-15 southbound will shut to traffic, the Nevada Department of Transportation announced Wednesday.

The weekend closure is needed to finish paving the connections to the south side of Charleston Boulevard, allowing a traffic switch onto the new pavement Monday morning.

A longer closure will then follow Monday night when the I-15 northbound offramp to Charleston Boulevard westbound, the Charleston Boulevard onramp to I-15 northbound and the new slip ramp between Charleston Boulevard and Alta Drive/Bonneville Avenue will shut to traffic. This closure will last for 45 days, NDOT said.

There are two options for motorists to access Charleston Boulevard traveling on I-15 northbound. The first option involves exiting I-15 at Sahara Avenue and going east, where motorists will turn right onto Highland Drive. At the stop sign motorists will take a left onto Western Avenue until they reach Charleston Boulevard.

Option two involves a motorist taking I-15 northbound to the Martin Luther King Boulevard exit of U.S. Highway 95 northbound. At the exit the motorist will take a left onto Martin Luther King Boulevard where they’ll travel on until they reach Charleston Boulevard westbound.

The closures are needed to construct the new Charleston Boulevard onramp to I-15 northbound as well as the new northbound slip ramp between Charleston Boulevard and Alta Drive/Bonneville Avenue in downtown Las Vegas.

“The new Charleston onramp creates a direct I-15 northbound connection as opposed to the current circuitous route that requires traveling along Grand Central Parkway and the looping Iron Horse Court for freeway access,” said Tony Illia, NDOT spokesperson. “As such, the new ramp improves traffic efficiency and motorist safety while also minimizing driver confusion.”

Additionally, the new northbound slip-ramp being built to Alta Drive-Bonneville Avenue will enhance access into the Medical and Arts districts in downtown Las Vegas, Illia said.

The improvements are part of Project Neon, the nearly $1 billion 4-mile-long widening of I-15 from the U.S. 95 interchange to Sahara Avenue that began in 2016.

Project Neon is 93 percent finished and scheduled for substantial completion in July.

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