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[roadfro]

There is huge construction going on in this segment NOW. Is this going to be made obsolete by the Downtown Access Project?

The current projects on I-515 is a couple of interim measures:

• Selected retrofits to extend the service life of the existing viaduct, especially the actual downtown portion (parts of which date to the 1960s). This is necessary until the actual downtown access project can get going to reconstruct this section, which is likely still about a decade out.
• Resurfacing of the viaduct, to include reconfiguration of the lanes and median barrier to make room to add a southbound auxiliary lane and a two lane off ramp at Eastern Ave. This will all be rebuilt with the downtown access project.
• Replacing structurally deficient bridges over Eastern Ave and Desert Inn Rd. These bridges are outside the project limits of the downtown access project.

Info on current projects:
https://www.dot.nv.gov/projects-programs/programs-studies/i-515-viaduct-rehab-project

[roadfro]

I'd even go beyond that — the time for caps is now. If you're going to build a billion dollar freeway, you could, y'know, build a $1.2 billion freeway and mitigate the impacts on the neighborhood.

This seems like a really old-school project. I'm fall for replacing the viaduct and even widening the freeway. But I thought we were done with the whole "freeways cutting off streets in poor neighborhoods" thing

Yeah this project is sorely needed but NDOT should be sparing no expense in ensuring this freeway is built as good as possible ensuring adequate capacity and not cutting off neighborhoods. This is right by the downtown area and needs to be below grade and future caps possible.

Are you that delusional to think a cap would be that cheap? Or is this the 60% trolling side of you?

Right because we need to make sure everything we build is cheap. Cheap cheap cheap. Let’s be cheap.

Aiming they went with a depressed option, I could maybe see some limited capping in selected areas downtown and in some of the neighborhoods. But not the whole thing... That's about two miles and would be incredibly (prohibitively?) expensive.

[Plutonic Panda]

Yes I didn’t think that they would ever cap the entire thing. Maybe some expanded bridges like in downtown Columbus would suffice.

[DenverBrian]

There is huge construction going on in this segment NOW. Is this going to be made obsolete by the Downtown Access Project?

The current projects on I-515 is a couple of interim measures:

• Selected retrofits to extend the service life of the existing viaduct, especially the actual downtown portion (parts of which date to the 1960s). This is necessary until the actual downtown access project can get going to reconstruct this section, which is likely still about a decade out.
• Resurfacing of the viaduct, to include reconfiguration of the lanes and median barrier to make room to add a southbound auxiliary lane and a two lane off ramp at Eastern Ave. This will all be rebuilt with the downtown access project.
• Replacing structurally deficient bridges over Eastern Ave and Desert Inn Rd. These bridges are outside the project limits of the downtown access project.

Info on current projects:
https://www.dot.nv.gov/projects-programs/programs-studies/i-515-viaduct-rehab-project

Thanks. So, truly interim - looks like a $40M price tag. Tiding the viaduct over until the massive project.

[roadfro]

Just saw this article. NDOT is accepting public comment on the DAP alternatives until February 15th.

Public input sought on major highway project through downtown Vegas, Las Vegas Review-Journal, 1/31/2022

State transportation officials are accepting comments on the Downtown Access Project, which is set to be the most expensive public works project in Nevada’s history.

The project aimed at easing congestion on U.S. Highway 95 in downtown Las Vegas could cost as much as $3 billion, depending on which of the three alternatives the Nevada Department of Transportation selects.

Project Neon, which widened 3.7 miles of Interstate 15 from the Spaghetti Bowl to Sahara Avenue, is the most expensive public work project in the state’s history at $1 billion. Even the least expensive option for the Downtown Access Project would top that at $1.6 billion, and the most expensive option could triple it.

Residents have until Feb. 15 to submit comments and concerns to NDOT before it moves to finalize the plan for the heavily used freeway. The preferred alternative is expected to be known by the time the draft environmental impact study is published this summer.

The trench option (Option 1) is expected to be the most expensive and take the longest to build.

[skluth]

All these options are bad for the local neighborhood. I see no point of putting US 95 in a trench unless they cap part of it. A trench alone would be far worse than the current elevated freeway. You can at least walk and do things under an elevated freeway. A trench means you must cross the freeway on a bridge. The other two options elevate the freeway on dirt rather than bridges. I thought one goal of the rebuild was to make US 95 less of a divide for the poorer folk who live NE of downtown. It looks like the goal of NDOT is to divide the residents even more with all three options.

I'm also not impressed with the parallel trail in the design like it's some new feature. A parallel trail already exists from 10th St to Mojave Rd.

[Plutonic Panda]

At least with a trench there is the option to cap in the future.

[The Ghostbuster]

I would support Options 2 or 3. I think Option 1 is too expensive, and I'm not sure if a trench would be better than the existing viaduct. Of course, I've never been to Las Vegas so I could be full of it.

[kernals12]

Were there ever any plans to give Downtown Las Vegas a full loop?

[roadfro]

All these options are bad for the local neighborhood. I see no point of putting US 95 in a trench unless they cap part of it. A trench alone would be far worse than the current elevated freeway. You can at least walk and do things under an elevated freeway. A trench means you must cross the freeway on a bridge. The other two options elevate the freeway on dirt rather than bridges. I thought one goal of the rebuild was to make US 95 less of a divide for the poorer folk who live NE of downtown. It looks like the goal of NDOT is to divide the residents even more with all three options.

I'm also not impressed with the parallel trail in the design like it's some new feature. A parallel trail already exists from 10th St to Mojave Rd.

I don't think that an original goal of the project was "to make US 95 less of a divide" or that they are setting out to "divide the residents even more". Given that the existing freeway is a 1.6-mile viaduct (that I'm quite frankly surprised was designed and built as such in the late 1970's/early 1980's) that needs to be rebuilt, reconstructing a wider 1.6-mile viaduct in today's dollars is not really a necessity–especially if you consider that space under the freeway today is largely underutilized (much of it is fenced off, or used as parking lots closer to downtown).

I'll also note that the temporary street closure study NDOT performed did in 2021 altered their plans based on the community. NDOT was originally planning to permanently close 8-9 north/south residential streets with this project in all design alternatives–they scaled this back to 3-4 (with two planned ped/bike only crossings converted back to full street status) based on the community feedback requesting to keep the connections.

I haven't had chance to fully dive in to the interactive materials to make comments, but it would be nice if they can enhance the existing trail and tie it in to downtown. I'd bet it would get a lot more utilization.

[roadfro]

Were there ever any plans to give Downtown Las Vegas a full loop?

No. Downtown Las Vegas is not big enough or dense enough with businesses/traffic generators that a freeway loop would make sense.

[triplemultiplex]

Were there ever any plans to give Downtown Las Vegas a full loop?

No. Downtown Las Vegas is not big enough or dense enough with businesses/traffic generators that a freeway loop would make sense.

Also, Vegas was still pretty small during the mid-century push to build urban freeways, so it wouldn't have seemed necessary at the time.

[kernals12]

NDOT has made a very beautiful presentation of their plans for the Downtown Access project in Vegas
https://ndotdap.com/vpm3-project-elements

I-515 would be expanded substantially, going from the current 3 GP lanes and 1 auxiliary lane in each direction to 4 GP lanes, 1 HOV lane, and 2 C-D lanes

They have 4 different design alternatives

Alternatives 5,6, and 7 would differ marginally from each other, with only differences being access provided to the HOV lanes. Alternative 8 would replace the currently elevated freeway with one below grade.

Alternative 8 would be twice as expensive to build as the other 3, it would require the destruction of 372 housing units vs ~50 for the other 3, and would create the most disruption to traffic during construction. The only advantage is aesthetic, as it removes the visual barrier of the current freeway and creates opportunity for capping. I'm guessing they only left that option in to illustrate why it would not be feasible.

[Plutonic Panda]

Alt. 8 is the best decision in ideological world but I doubt it gets chosen now. I’d throw my weight behind alt. 7 as it seems to have the most efficient interchange at I-15.

[kernals12]

Alt. 8 is the best decision in ideological world but I doubt it gets chosen now. I’d throw my weight behind alt. 7 as it seems to have the most efficient interchange at I-15.

Twice the cost with purely aesthetic advantages? No way, Jose!

[The Ghostbuster]

If all goes according to plan, and there are no delays, it appears that final design and right-of-way acquisition will begin in 2025 and construction will begin in 2029: https://ndotdap.com/vpm3-schedule. I'm sure that by the time construction begins, the Interstate 515 designation will be gone, and Interstate 11 will be fully signed through Las Vegas.

[Plutonic Panda]

If all goes according to plan, and there are no delays, it appears that final design and right-of-way acquisition will begin in 2025 and construction will begin in 2029: https://ndotdap.com/vpm3-schedule. I'm sure that by the time construction begins, the Interstate 515 designation will be gone, and Interstate 11 will be fully signed through Las Vegas.

You don’t think they’d wait for this project to be completed before signing it I-11?

[The Ghostbuster]

It's possible. I would prefer that it happen before this project occurs, but it will only happen when the DOT decides to make it happen.

[DenverBrian]

If all goes according to plan, and there are no delays, it appears that final design and right-of-way acquisition will begin in 2025 and construction will begin in 2029: https://ndotdap.com/vpm3-schedule. I'm sure that by the time construction begins, the Interstate 515 designation will be gone, and Interstate 11 will be fully signed through Las Vegas.

You don’t think they’d wait for this project to be completed before signing it I-11?

Given the city's aversion to even calling it I-515 (it's always referred to as US 95, even by the traffic commentators on the TV stations), I'd say it could be a looooooong time before it's signed as I-11.

[mrsman]

If all goes according to plan, and there are no delays, it appears that final design and right-of-way acquisition will begin in 2025 and construction will begin in 2029: https://ndotdap.com/vpm3-schedule. I'm sure that by the time construction begins, the Interstate 515 designation will be gone, and Interstate 11 will be fully signed through Las Vegas.

You don’t think they’d wait for this project to be completed before signing it I-11?

Given the city's aversion to even calling it I-515 (it's always referred to as US 95, even by the traffic commentators on the TV stations), I'd say it could be a looooooong time before it's signed as I-11.

I have to imagine part of the reason for that is that there is no part of 515 that isn't already part of 95 (i.e. 95 is the longer highway).    It is also easier to refer to the main highways in town as 15 crossing 95.  One term for the town's main east-west freeway, 95.

It is similar to some of the history of the 4 level in LA.  Now we just have two highways: 101 and 110.  But back in the day, parts of US 6, US 66, US 99 also ran through and even turned by way of the interchange.  Quite complicated.  It is true that CA-11 (forerunner to 110) and US 101 were the only roads that consistently went straight through the interchange, but the others were very important routes as well.  But for simplification, it was the interchange of 11 and 101.

[DenverBrian]

If all goes according to plan, and there are no delays, it appears that final design and right-of-way acquisition will begin in 2025 and construction will begin in 2029: https://ndotdap.com/vpm3-schedule. I'm sure that by the time construction begins, the Interstate 515 designation will be gone, and Interstate 11 will be fully signed through Las Vegas.

You don’t think they’d wait for this project to be completed before signing it I-11?

Given the city's aversion to even calling it I-515 (it's always referred to as US 95, even by the traffic commentators on the TV stations), I'd say it could be a looooooong time before it's signed as I-11.

I have to imagine part of the reason for that is that there is no part of 515 that isn't already part of 95 (i.e. 95 is the longer highway).    It is also easier to refer to the main highways in town as 15 crossing 95.  One term for the town's main east-west freeway, 95.

OK, I'm confused. Las Vegas has no main east-west freeway. Both I-15 and US-95/I-515 run north-south.

[Scott5114]

OK, I'm confused. Las Vegas has no main east-west freeway. Both I-15 and US-95/I-515 run north-south.

Yes and no...


I could see some people seeing 95 as the "main east-west freeway", considering that's the orientation it's in when it hits 15. Although my mental map of the city treats it as a diagonal.

[roadfro]

OK, I'm confused. Las Vegas has no main east-west freeway. Both I-15 and US-95/I-515 run north-south.

Yes and no...
<img removed>

I could see some people seeing 95 as the "main east-west freeway", considering that's the orientation it's in when it hits 15. Although my mental map of the city treats it as a diagonal.

Fun fact: The first bits of US 95 as a freeway in Las Vegas extended from downtown (either from Casino Center/4th or from Las Vegas Blvd) westward towards Rainbow Blvd in the late 1960s to early 1970s and was known as the "Las Vegas Expressway"...it wouldn't be until the early 1980s before US 95 was moved from Rancho Dr onto the current alignment. There was some signage on side streets that directed traffic to "Las Vegas Exwy east/west" that persisted into the 1990s well after US 95 had been moved onto it.

[Sub-Urbanite]

All of these are … absurd. Alternative 8 triples the footprint of the freeway, further cutting off the northern residential area from the downtown district. Alternatives 5-7 more than double the footprint.

I get what they're going for here, but there's zero balance in the project between "Moving cars through downtown Las Vegas" and "supporting the community around the freeway." I'm not saying it needs to be tilted all the way for the community, or even 50-50, but there's seriously zero balance here.

NDOT has made a very beautiful presentation of their plans for the Downtown Access project in Vegas
https://ndotdap.com/vpm3-project-elements

I-515 would be expanded substantially, going from the current 3 GP lanes and 1 auxiliary lane in each direction to 4 GP lanes, 1 HOV lane, and 2 C-D lanes

They have 4 different design alternatives

Alternatives 5,6, and 7 would differ marginally from each other, with only differences being access provided to the HOV lanes. Alternative 8 would replace the currently elevated freeway with one below grade.

Alternative 8 would be twice as expensive to build as the other 3, it would require the destruction of 372 housing units vs ~50 for the other 3, and would create the most disruption to traffic during construction. The only advantage is aesthetic, as it removes the visual barrier of the current freeway and creates opportunity for capping. I'm guessing they only left that option in to illustrate why it would not be feasible.

[Plutonic Panda]

It doesn’t need to have balance. It just needs to move cars as quickly as possible and that’s exactly what it will accomplish. That is completely appropriate for this area.