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I-15 Project Neon in Las Vegas

Started by roadfro, December 10, 2013, 12:51:16 AM

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roadfro

Lawmakers OK $100 million bond to help untangle the Spaghetti Bowl (Las Vegas Review-Journal, 12/9/13)

Quote
A state Transportation Department request for authority to use $100 million in bond proceeds to buy right-of-way for the Interstate 15 widening project called Project Neon won approval Monday from lawmakers.

The approval came despite questions and skepticism from some lawmakers about the public-private partnership the agency would enter as a way to speed construction and build the project in four or five years, with completion in 2020.
Quote
The project will be the largest in the agency's history and could end up costing $1.3 billion.


Project Neon has been talked about for close to a decade now. It is the proposed upgrade of I-15 between Sahara Ave and the Las Vegas Spaghetti Bowl (junction I-515/US 93/US 95). This is the busiest stretch of interstate in Nevada, with about 250,000 vehicle trips per day.

Proposed improvements under Project Neon include: mainline I-15 widening, braided ramps and collector-distributor roads along this section of I-15, addition of HOV lanes on I-15, an HOV direct-connect flyover to the HOV lane on US 95, complete reconstruction/reconfiguration of the substandard Charleston Blvd interchange, new access to local streets via an HOV interchange and a new half-interchange (enhancing mobility into the growing Symphony Park shopping/entertainment/business district), new linkages between arterial roads parallel to I-15, and various other improvements.

The proposed construction method is a new one for NDOT, which would enter a public-private partnership in which the private partner constructs the improvements and maintains it for several years, while the state pays for it over time. Supposedly, this would allow NDOT to get these improvements done in a much shorter period of time rather than typical methods.

The state has been slowly purchasing needed parcels for a few years. I think this bond money would let them move forward more rapidly to obtain the rest of the right of way needed.


Project website: www.ndotprojectneon.com
Roadfro - AARoads Pacific Southwest moderator since 2010, Nevada roadgeek since 1983.


roadfro

More details about Project Neon were made public earlier this year:


Details of massive Project Neon unveiled - Las Vegas Review Journal, 6/10/2015
Quote
The pain commences early next year.

But when all that construction pain ends, the $1.5 billion Spaghetti Bowl interchange rehabilitation known as Project Neon not only will provide a smoother, safer transition between U.S. Highway 95 and Interstate 15 but will provide superior access to downtown Las Vegas, the resort corridor and nearby medical facilities.

The 3.7-mile overhaul of the state's busiest freeway interchange and the region just south of it will be the largest transportation infrastructure project ever done in the state.

While all the final flourishes could take up to 20 years to finish, four phases that represent the meat of the project will be undertaken in the next four to five.

The article mentions pretty much all the upgrades I stated in the above post.

Note the price tag increase from 2013.
Roadfro - AARoads Pacific Southwest moderator since 2010, Nevada roadgeek since 1983.

roadfro

#2
A firm has been selected to construct Project Neon

Kiewit named 'best value' builder for Project Neon - Las Vegas Review Journal, 10/12/2015
Quote
A firm called Kiewit Infrastructure West Co. was named the "apparent best value" to build the major Interstate 15-Spaghetti Bowl widening and improvement project called Project Neon at a price of $559 million, the state Transportation Board was told Monday.

The Transportation Department will now negotiate with the company to finalize a contract that could come to the state board for approval in November. The selection announcement was informational only.

The firm indicated that it expects to have substantial completion of the project by the fourth quarter of 2019, several months ahead of original projections.

...

The 3.7-mile overhaul of the state's busiest freeway interchange and the region just south of it will be the largest transportation infrastructure project ever done in the state when it gets under way next year. When all costs are tallied, including right-of-way acquisition, the project will reach an estimated $1.5 billion.

...

The project will improve safety and the state economy as commerce moves more quickly through the congested area. The section of freeway sees 250,000 to 270,000 vehicles a day with 1,000 crashes a year.

Interesting that the actual construction costs of this project are about $560 million, and there's a $1 billion in other costs. Much of that is likely due to this project involving significant right of way acquisition--the footprint of I-15 between Charleston Blvd and US 95 is probably more than doubling in width to accommodate mainline widening, new HOV flyover, and all the new braided ramp and C/D structures.

Also interesting that substantial completion is expected in late 2019. There's a lot of work to get done in what will likely be less than 4 years of construction time.
Roadfro - AARoads Pacific Southwest moderator since 2010, Nevada roadgeek since 1983.

noelbotevera

Wasn't I-15 through Las Vegas reconstructed sometime in 2008 or so? it added the express lanes.

roadfro

Quote from: noelbotevera on October 18, 2015, 04:20:04 PM
Wasn't I-15 through Las Vegas reconstructed sometime in 2008 or so? it added the express lanes.

There have been several projects on I-15 in the past decade or so, but none in the project area of Project Neon.

*I-15 North widening project - I-515/US 95 to Craig Road.
*I-15 Express lanes - 215 to Sahara
*I-15 South widening & C/D lanes - SR 160/Blue Diamond to Tropicana
*Resurfacing - roughly Tropicana to Sahara

Project Neon fills in much of the widening gap from Sahara Avenue to I-515/US 95, with numerous new structures to correct design deficiencies and eliminate many problematic weaving patterns.
Roadfro - AARoads Pacific Southwest moderator since 2010, Nevada roadgeek since 1983.

roadfro

BUMP

Project Neon is scheduled to get underway in April 2016.

Project Neon begins in April with most traffic disruptions in 2017. Las Vegas Review-Journal, 2/9/2016
Quote
When Project Neon, the $1.5 billion, 3.7-mile Spaghetti Bowl-to-Sahara Avenue rehabilitation project, gets underway in April, it won't immediately disrupt freeway traffic.

In fact, crews won't close lanes of U.S. Highway 95 (I think they meant to say I-15) for the project until the first quarter of 2017 with the biggest disruptions planned from the third quarter of 2017 through the second quarter of 2019.
Quote
By July, work will begin on some of Project Neon's surface-street projects with the reconstruction of Martin Luther King Boulevard at the top of the list. Other surface street work will occur with the extension of Grand Central Parkway to Industrial Road and a high-occupancy-vehicle exit at Wall Street to be known as the "Neon Gateway."
<...>
Things will start to get messy for freeway users in the first quarter of 2017 when crews begin work on ramp-braiding projects, the additions of ramps designed to keep exiting freeway traffic away from vehicles merging onto the highway..

I-15 mainline improvements will occur from March to November 2018, avoiding high-traffic convention and holiday periods.

The most high-profile piece of the project will come last – construction of the high-occupancy-vehicle flyover connecting I-15 and U.S. 95 HOV lanes. That will occur from November 2018 through July 2019.

Glad to see this project finally getting underway.


I believe the biggest benefit of this project will be the braided ramps between US 95/I-515 and the Charleston Blvd interchange. This is a major cause of delay at all hours (but particularly the morning peak hour) as 2 lanes of heavy traffic entering I-15 from US 95 SB dump into an exit only lane for Charleston Blvd.

The reconstructed Charleston Blvd interchange also has the happy benefit of eliminating use of Martin L. King Blvd from the southbound ramp movements–and it intersecting Charleston entirely–which will significantly enhance surface street operations. By working on MLK first, hopefully there is some surface street relief in the interim while the mainline braided ramps and Charleston improvements are underway.
Roadfro - AARoads Pacific Southwest moderator since 2010, Nevada roadgeek since 1983.

roadfro

Another article from the RJ about Project Neon, which is breaking ground next week. Some repeated information, but one new tidbit I wasn't aware of...


$1.5 billion Spaghetti Bowl overhaul dubbed Project Neon begins next month

Richard N. Velotta, Las Vegas Review-Journal, 3/28/2016
Quote
Well after April 7's Project Neon groundbreaking ceremony in downtown Las Vegas, construction crews will be installing an active traffic management system, the first of its kind in the country.

"Essentially, we're putting stadium-sized video boards over the freeways that provide next-generation, real-time information to motorists about detours, accidents and traffic restrictions,"  said Nevada Department of Transportation spokesman Tony Illia.

The boards will be far more sophisticated than the existing dynamic signage that shows travel times to freeway exits and can be programmed to inform motorists of lane closures and blockages that occur with traffic accidents, Illia said. Signs will show the status of every lane as motorists approach the interchange that 300,000 vehicles pass through daily and sees 25,000 lane changes per hour.

This is the first I've heard of these traffic management video signs being part of this project. Sounds very interesting--potentially like full color/image DMSs.

From the way the article describes it, the initial boards will be spaced at roughly 1-mile intervals leading up to the Project Neon boundaries in all four directions approaching the Spaghetti Bowl interchange. And eventually these boards will be expanded further along I-15 (at least).
Roadfro - AARoads Pacific Southwest moderator since 2010, Nevada roadgeek since 1983.

Max Rockatansky

Yes that interchange is a disaster and needs to be fixed.  They sure gave it the most 80s name they could though.   :nod:

Sub-Urbanite

Quote from: roadfro on March 31, 2016, 10:48:47 AM
This is the first I've heard of these traffic management video signs being part of this project. Sounds very interesting--potentially like full color/image DMSs.

The article made it sound like these were cutting-edge — full-color DMSs with a wide variety of display capabilities have been on Portland freeways for more than a year now.

https://www.google.com/maps/@45.5302006,-122.641296,3a,75y,292.64h,91.83t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s3LIve8HhL_MRgRwJpahvIw!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

(To the human eye, those are white letters on a green background.)

roadfro

Quote from: Sub-Urbanite on April 01, 2016, 09:39:50 AM
Quote from: roadfro on March 31, 2016, 10:48:47 AM
This is the first I've heard of these traffic management video signs being part of this project. Sounds very interesting--potentially like full color/image DMSs.

The article made it sound like these were cutting-edge — full-color DMSs with a wide variety of display capabilities have been on Portland freeways for more than a year now.

https://www.google.com/maps/@45.5302006,-122.641296,3a,75y,292.64h,91.83t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s3LIve8HhL_MRgRwJpahvIw!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

(To the human eye, those are white letters on a green background.)

I get the sense that what they're proposing will be like that (which seems like the average size DMS), but bigger and with other dynamic elements. But that was just my interpretation of the article...
Roadfro - AARoads Pacific Southwest moderator since 2010, Nevada roadgeek since 1983.

myosh_tino

Quote from: roadfro on April 01, 2016, 10:02:30 AM
Quote from: Sub-Urbanite on April 01, 2016, 09:39:50 AM
Quote from: roadfro on March 31, 2016, 10:48:47 AM
This is the first I've heard of these traffic management video signs being part of this project. Sounds very interesting--potentially like full color/image DMSs.

The article made it sound like these were cutting-edge — full-color DMSs with a wide variety of display capabilities have been on Portland freeways for more than a year now.

https://www.google.com/maps/@45.5302006,-122.641296,3a,75y,292.64h,91.83t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s3LIve8HhL_MRgRwJpahvIw!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

(To the human eye, those are white letters on a green background.)

I get the sense that what they're proposing will be like that (which seems like the average size DMS), but bigger and with other dynamic elements. But that was just my interpretation of the article...

This sounds like what WSDOT has implemented on I-5 and WA-520 in the Seattle area and what Caltrans is currently installing on I-80 between the Carquinez and Bay Bridges.
Quote from: golden eagle
If I owned a dam and decided to donate it to charity, would I be giving a dam? I'm sure that might be a first because no one really gives a dam.

roadfro

Roadfro - AARoads Pacific Southwest moderator since 2010, Nevada roadgeek since 1983.

Great Lakes Roads


Max Rockatansky

Quote from: Great Lakes Roads on April 13, 2016, 11:29:05 PM
Project Neon Ground Breaking April 2016

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WF-X_HuOi1E

Did they have all the people on the stage facing into the sun or something?  Holy sunglasses....  :cool:

ARMOURERERIC

Plus I see that the floating ghost head of Barbwa WaWa was in attendance.

Occidental Tourist

Quote from: ARMOURERERIC on April 14, 2016, 02:25:49 AM
Plus I see that the floating ghost head of Barbwa WaWa was in attendance.


:bigass:  :clap:
How many here are old enough to get this joke?

kkt

Quote from: Occidental Tourist on April 14, 2016, 09:46:37 AM
Quote from: ARMOURERERIC on April 14, 2016, 02:25:49 AM
Plus I see that the floating ghost head of Barbwa WaWa was in attendance.
:bigass:  :clap:
How many here are old enough to get this joke?

:wave:

slorydn1

Please Note: All posts represent my personal opinions and do not represent those of any governmental agency, non-governmental agency, quasi-governmental agency or wanna be governmental agency

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DeaconG

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-Crisis On Infinite Earths #2

roadfro

It's a "Car-nado"!!

That's the term NDOT has chosen to inform/warn the traveling public of traffic changes and potential delays around the Spaghetti Bowl as Project Neon work is progressing.

Car-nado set to wreak havoc upon downtown Las Vegas traffic, Las Vegas Review-Journal, 10/27/16
Quote
Interstate 15 southbound and northbound ramps connecting to northbound U.S. Highway 95 will be closed every day until late February, according to the Nevada Department of Transportation.

Additionally, the I-15 ramps to Martin Luther King Boulevard will be closed during the same time frame as part of the $1 billion widening of the Spaghetti Bowl interchange known as Project Neon. About 300,000 vehicles travel daily on the Spaghetti Bowl's looping ramps connecting I-15 and U.S. 95, with traffic expected to double by 2035.

...

The lengthy closures are needed so that crews can demolish a 22-year-old, two-lane bridge over Martin Luther King Boulevard that connects northbound I-15 to northbound U.S. Highway 95. The bridge will be rebuilt just north of its current location, making room for a flyover ramp that will be designated for high-occupancy vehicles.


The I-15 north to US 95 north two-lane flyover ramp has to be closed, in order to rebuild its bridge over MLK Blvd and realign the ramp's touch down point (this change is necessary shift lanes outward to make room for the eventual HOV flyover to touch down in the median of US 95). Since this is an extremely heavy traffic movement, traffic is being detoured on the longer single-lane ramp from I-15 north to MLK Blvd with a temporary connection to US 95 north upstream of the normal merge point. To facilitate the temporary connection, the other ramps mentioned have been closed.

I would anticipate that the 15 NB to 95 NB closure will produce some heavy delays. I'd estimate this is the second busiest ramp in the state (given that the opposite movement is the busiest), and is one of the (if not the most) predominant movement during evening rush hours at the Bowl. Even with keeping the one-lane detour, it will still be interesting to see how people cope with this...
Roadfro - AARoads Pacific Southwest moderator since 2010, Nevada roadgeek since 1983.

Max Rockatansky

#20
Reading the link on my phone has everything jumbled up.  So I'm not really clear on understanding something, does that include the ramps to MLK near Charleston also?   If that's the case probably the best bet is try to avoid the interchange via Sahara. 

roadfro

Quote from: Max Rockatansky on October 28, 2016, 05:18:26 PM
Not really clear, does that include the ramps to MLK near Charleston also?

Those ramps are considered part of the Charleston Blvd interchange, and are not affected at this time.

In later phases of Project Neon, MLK will be realigned westward to make space for I-15 mainline widening and new braided ramp structures to ease weaving on I-15 south between US 95 and Sahara, the Charleston interchange will be rebuilt as a diamond interchange, and the Charleston/MLK intersection will be eliminated with a new MLK bridge over Charleston.
Roadfro - AARoads Pacific Southwest moderator since 2010, Nevada roadgeek since 1983.

Max Rockatansky

Quote from: roadfro on October 28, 2016, 05:27:00 PM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on October 28, 2016, 05:18:26 PM
Not really clear, does that include the ramps to MLK near Charleston also?

Those ramps are considered part of the Charleston Blvd interchange, and are not affected at this time.

In later phases of Project Neon, MLK will be realigned westward to make space for I-15 mainline widening and new braided ramp structures to ease weaving on I-15 south between US 95 and Sahara, the Charleston interchange will be rebuilt as a diamond interchange, and the Charleston/MLK intersection will be eliminated with a new MLK bridge over Charleston.

If that's the case conventional wisdom might suggest jumping off US 95 at Drive and taking it south to Charleston to jump back on southbound at MLK then...vice versa for north bound.  But....then again, I would imagine most people during rush hour would be thinking the same thing and those ramps will likely be backed up more than usual.  Maybe Valley View and Sahara would be the better bet?  Wouldn't want to be stuck in that mess during rush hour that's for sure.

myosh_tino

Looks like I got out of Las Vegas at the right time.  Was down there for a bowling tournament at The Orleans last weekend and usually head downtown to The Cal at least once during my visit.  Normally that involves me using I-15 to US 95/I-515 but this year I bailed at Charleston because traffic on I-15 was all backed up.
Quote from: golden eagle
If I owned a dam and decided to donate it to charity, would I be giving a dam? I'm sure that might be a first because no one really gives a dam.

roadfro

#24
BUMP!

In the next phase of Project Neon, NDOT will be endorsing the "Zipper Merge" concept:

NDOT plans for motorists to "˜zipper merge' into next phase of Project Neon - Las Vegas Review-Journal, 2/26/2017
Quote
For the first time, NDOT will officially endorse "zipper merging"  next month as a way to keep traffic moving when U.S. Highway 95 is narrowed to two lanes in each direction between Rancho Drive and the Spaghetti Bowl interchange in downtown Las Vegas.
(...)
Drivers will have plenty of time to get used to this method of merging. U.S. 95 will be reduced to two lanes each way through December as part of Project Neon, a $1 billion effort to redesign and add traffic lanes from the Spaghetti Bowl interchange to Sahara Avenue.

The zipper merge is being promoted as part of the next major project closure...

Next phase of Project Neon will put "˜The Big Squeeze' on Las Vegas motorists - Las Vegas Review-Journal, 3/1/2017
Quote
"The Big Squeeze"  will elicit a long, painful pinch starting March 21, when U.S. Highway 95 will be narrowed to two lanes in each direction between Rancho Drive and the Spaghetti Bowl interchange through the end of the year.
(...)
"This isn't like the other closures you may have encountered before,"  Illia said. "This is a little longer, and a lot more significant."

Through December, the major highway lane restrictions will coincide with periodic closures along nearby freeway ramps and surface streets.


Although Project Neon is primarily designed to improve flows on I-15, "The Big Squeeze" part of the project is closing the inside lanes on US 95 in order to construct a new HOV flyover between US 95 to the west and I-15 to the south. This flyover will connect the existing HOV lanes that terminate just west of the Spaghetti Bowl interchange on US 95 to I-15, where I believe it is eventually planned to convert the two existing I-15 express lanes to one HOV and one general purpose lane once the overall Project Neon is completed.
Roadfro - AARoads Pacific Southwest moderator since 2010, Nevada roadgeek since 1983.



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