‘A critical corridor’: I-15 widening project north of Las Vegas complete

A three-year widening project of Interstate 15 between Speedway Boulevard and the Garnet Interchange was deemed completed Tuesday morning by area officials.

The nearly 11-mile stretch of I-15 was widened to three lanes from two in each direction as part of the $83 million project, improving the commute that serves those that travel to and from southern Utah and beyond.

“It’s a critical corridor for commerce, commuters and our state’s continued growth,” Nevada Department of Transportation Director Tracy Larkin Thomason said Tuesday. “As our region continues to grow, projects like these are essential not just to support toady’s traffic, but to prepare for tomorrow’s freight demand, economic development and community needs. Above all safety remains our top priority.”

The project also included rehabbing bridges along the stretch, adding a new commercial truck parking areas, truck weigh-in motion sensors and upgrading drainage systems, lighting and landscaping in the area.

The third and final phase wraps up the widening of I-15 between the Spaghetti Bowl and the Garnet interchange. The first phase, completed in 2010, saw I-15 widened between the Spaghetti Bowl and Craig Road in a $242 million project.

Phase two of the project included widening I-15 between Craig Road and Speedway Boulevard, with the five-mile stretch increased to three lanes in each direction. The $33.8 million project kicked off in late 2016 and was completed in spring 2018.

The I-15 corridor is a vital mover of people and goods between into and out of Southern Nevada and to neighboring states such as California and Utah. So, ensuring the interstate is continuously improved is important, according to Lt. Gov. Stavros Anthony.

“I-15 is a big deal in Southern Nevada and most of the time people see us working on Tropicana (interchange project), or Flamingo and I-15, but the northern and southern parts have to be developed, too,” Anthony said. “So, we have to make sure all the way down to Sloan that we’re developed and all the way to Apex and even farther is developed… This (project completion) is absolutely huge to continue the lifeblood of our community by increasing the capacity of I-15.”

The widening of I-15 could also lead to continued development in the area near the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, which has seen multiple warehouses, hotels and retail stores open over the past several years.

“It also reinforces North Las Vegas as a logistics and manufacturing powerhouse, right here in the Southern Nevadan region,” said North Las Vegas Mayor Pamela Goynes-Brown. “This project is going to bring better reliability, smoother commutes and greater opportunities for people in North Las Vegas.”

The Las Vegas Motor Speedway is located along this stretch and they will also benefit from the improved highway. Upwards of 80,000 attendees take in events at the speedway from Southern Utah, according to speedway general manager Patrick Lindsey.

“This project behind us has allowed us to do better than ever before,” Lindsey said. “It’s not just our fans and our guests from Las Vegas and the resort corridor, but it’s also our neighbors from the north in Utah that are able to come here because of the safe and efficient roads that we have built.”

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