Key I-15 off-ramp to Las Vegas Strip set to reopen after yearslong closure

A key off-ramp from Interstate 15 to T-Mobile Arena is slated to reopen this week after years of being shuttered.

The I-15 northbound off-ramp to Arena Drive/Frank Sinatra Drive is scheduled to reopen to traffic Friday. The off-ramp has been closed since 2022 as part of the $382 million I-15/Tropicana Avenue interchange project.

“The goal is to get the Arena Drive off-ramp open for WrestleMania and VGK playoffs,” said Kelsey McFarland, a Nevada Department of Transportation spokesperson, in an email.

WrestleMania takes place Saturday and Sunday at Allegiant Stadium, but three other WWE events will take place at T-Mobile Arena on Friday, Saturday and Monday. Having the on-ramp open will greatly improve traffic flow to the Strip arena.

The Golden Knights’ final regular season game was scheduled for Wednesday in Vancouver against the Canucks. The date and time of the Knights’ first game of the NHL playoffs had not been determined.

The Arena/Frank Sinatra off-ramp reopening will mark the next step toward the completion of the over three-year construction project. Last month the I-15 southbound flyover ramp to Tropicana eastbound reopened to traffic after being shuttered for three years. When that occurred, the diverging diamond interchange traffic pattern on the Tropicana bridge over I-15 was removed and a standard traffic pattern returned.

The next milestones on the project are weeks away with the planned reopening of the Tropicana on-ramp to I-15 southbound and the I-15 northbound off-ramp to Tropicana eastbound and westbound set to reopen on May 2 after three years of being closed.

At a yet-to-be-determined date in May, I-15 will move back to five lanes between Harmon and Hacienda on the southbound side and between Russell Road and Harmon Avenue on the northbound side.

Ahead of lane capacity returning to normal along the stretches of I-15, two directional overnight closures will be needed to restripe the interstate.

In July, crews will repave I-15 between Warm Springs and Flamingo roads with crumb rubber paving. The type of pavement utilizes recycled tire rubber to provide a smoother, quieter ride that’s also easier on vehicles’ tires.

The massive road project included the demolition of and raising of the Tropicana bridge over I-15, the construction of the high occupancy vehicle half-interchange at Harmon Avenue, and the addition of the new Joey Bishop Drive, which eliminates the four-way intersection at Dean Martin and Tropicana. New dynamic messaging boards were also added to portions of I-15 as part of the project to help guide Allegiant Stadium event traffic.

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