News:

Thank you for your patience during the Forum downtime while we upgraded the software. Welcome back and see this thread for some new features and other changes to the forum.

Main Menu

I-11/I-215/I-515/NV 564 Henderson Spaghetti Bowl Interchange

Started by roadfro, August 25, 2018, 03:10:22 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

roadfro

NDOT will be embarking on a short-term improvement for the I-515 SB to I-215 WB movement at this interchange, to reduce delays and weaving movements.
https://www.nevadadot.com/projects-programs/interstate-515-215-re-striping-project/

This will involve reworking the westbound ramp to split from the SR 564 Lake Mead Pkwy east ramp. Downstream, striping changes on I-215 will reduce weaving be eliminating the exit only trap at the Gibson Road exit. Work will start September 2018.



More notably, some of the project materials indicate that NDOT is in the initial planning stages of addressing other issues at the Henderson Spaghetti Bowl.
Roadfro - AARoads Pacific Southwest moderator since 2010, Nevada roadgeek since 1983.


roadfro

So this restriping project was completed in December 2018, but there are still some lingering issues that NDOT will address. And more is teased about interchange upgrades.

Henderson freeway interchange to see short, long-term relief, Las Vegas Review-Journal Road Warrior column, 3/24/19
Quote
...
The three-month-long restriping project headed by the Nevada Department of Transportation was aimed at improving safety and reducing traffic congestion at the I-515/215 Beltway interchange. But the new configuration caused headaches for the first few days, as confused motorists learned to navigate the new layout.
...
Several readers have reached out airing their displeasure with the Lake Mead Parkway on-ramp to the 215 Beltway westbound.

The new configuration abruptly goes from two lanes to one lane, causing dangerous conditions, according to readers like Henderson resident Suellen Pirages.

"During heavy traffic times, cars occupy the left and center lanes on Lake Mead Parkway, which leads to a race to access the one lane ramp,"  Pirages wrote. "My husband has had two near accidents with fast moving vehicles pushing their way into the single lane."

Before the change, the ramp was a two-lane approach with easy ability to change lanes, Pirages continued.

Well, for Pirages and the several others who have aired their concerns, help is on the way.

The restriping project is still open, and NDOT plans to change the Lake Mead Parkway on-ramp striping back to two lanes, according to Tony Illia, department spokesman.

"The two lanes will merge back into one lane after the Eastgate traffic signal,"  Illia said. "This should ease the queuing and driver frustration by allowing more vehicles through the signal."

The precise timing of the improvement was not available, but Illia said it should occur within the next two months.

Further improvements to the interchange, which is the gateway to the rest of the city for many residents in the ever-growing Henderson area, are also in the plans.

The "Henderson Spaghetti Bowl,"  as it is unofficially known, is slated for upgrades, part of a multi-stage project to occur over the better part of a decade.

First constructed in the mid-1990s when Clark County had a population of 1 million, the interchange needs to be improved to handle the growing traffic needs of the area's now 2.2 million people.

The first phase of construction is planned to occur between 2021 and 2025, with the second phase taking place between 2025 and 2030, plans show.

From the 3/27/19 public meeting press release on NDOT's website (which appears to have been written by the City of Henderson):
Quote
PURPOSE OF MEETING: The City of Henderson, in cooperation with the Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT), is hosting a public information meeting to solicit input for the I-11/I-515/I-215 Henderson Interchange (Henderson Interchange) Feasibility Study. The study is following a Planning and Environmental Linkages (PEL) approach, which is intended to shorten the time required to take projects from planning to implementation. Decisions made as part of this study could be carried forward into more detailed National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) studies. The necessary steps have been taken to accelerate planning efforts so that the interchange can begin the NEPA process in 2020.

NDOT doesn't currently have a project website up for the future improvements, and I didn't find anything on Henderson's website either. So it's not totally clear what's being proposed... Terming it as a "feasibility study" somewhat implies that there may not be any concrete plans at present.
Roadfro - AARoads Pacific Southwest moderator since 2010, Nevada roadgeek since 1983.

i-215

Glad to see work being done on the ole' Henderbender.  It's not a bad little interchange, but there are some motions that just don't work right, and I think a lot of what is proposed will do a lot of good (at least short term).

Kniwt

The Las Vegas Review-Journal reports on a 10-year-plan costing up to $300 million to rebuild the I-11/I-515/I-215/NV-564, aka the "Henderson Spaghetti Bowl," and the surrounding area:
https://www.reviewjournal.com/news/news-columns/road-warrior/relief-coming-to-congested-henderson-interchange-but-not-anytime-soon-1910326/

QuoteThe project's scope includes Lake Mead Parkway/215 Beltway from Van Wagenen Street to Valle Verde Drive and U.S. 95 between Galleria and Horizon drives.

... Option 1

The plan has a similar configuration to the one in place, but has updated connectivity and increased traffic flow aspects.

Option 1 includes three lanes on the flyover ramp from 215 eastbound to U.S. 95 northbound, up from the two today; connection is established with Gibson with a braided ramp concept, with a ramp leading to Gibson traveling over traffic from U.S. 95 and the road leading from Lake Mead having a direct access right turn lane to Gibson. The ramp from U.S. 95 would merge with the Lake Mead ramp traffic just before the traffic signal at Gibson.

Option 2

A crossover interchange is being considered for the area, which would be unique as there are only two other versions of the road project in the U.S. – one in the Baltimore area and one in Alabama.

To access some off-ramps, motorists would have to cross over traffic at various points.

Westbound traffic on Lake Mead Parkway would travel on an elevated roadway above eastbound traffic, where they travel on the opposite side of the street to the 215 westbound, where the road crosses back over eastbound traffic again where it continues on to the 215 and has a Gibson exit.

A dedicated two-lane off-ramp from U.S. 95 to the 215 westbound is featured in this option, with a separate Lake Mead Parkway exit located just ahead of the 215 off-ramp on the far left hand lane of U.S. 95.

Both options add an additional lane on U.S. 95 south of the interchange up until Horizon Drive.

The preferred option should be chosen by mid-2020.

roadfro

Just read this article yesterday but didn't have time to link it here and post about it. Thanks for that.

Finally, a little more substance is provided regarding the "tease" I mentioned months ago. Unfortunately, I still haven't come across any project pages or documents with images or more detail.

The article's description of option 2 isn't quite making sense to me why a crossover is needed for WB Lake Mead Pkwy (SR 564) traffic. But it does seem like option 2 would reintroduce separate ramps to SR 564 EB & I-215 WB that were consolidated in the previous project–but would interestingly introduce a left-hand exit ramp! (For context, the only currently existing left side ramps in Nevada are HOV-only ramps. Prior to HOV lanes, the only left hand ramp was an on ramp from Lake Mead Blvd to I-15 SB in North Las Vegas, and that ramp was removed in the 2000s as part of an interchange redesign.)
Roadfro - AARoads Pacific Southwest moderator since 2010, Nevada roadgeek since 1983.

roadfro

Bump.

NDOT is seeking feedback on the chosen alternative for the Henderson Spaghetti Bowl interchange rebuild. Virtual public meeting is underway with the comment period closing July 7th, and an in-person meeting happening June 23rd.

NDOT seeking feedback on $335M Henderson Spaghetti Bowl revamp project, Las Vegas Review-Journal, 6/13/2022
Quote
The Henderson interchange where U.S. Highway 95, the 215 Beltway and Lake Mead Parkway converge is set for an estimated $335 million revamp and the Nevada Department of Transportation is looking for public feedback before shovels hit the ground.

Also known as the Henderson Spaghetti Bowl, the interchange was completed in 2006 and in the years since, the population in Clark County has boomed and so has the traffic. There were about 1.5 million people in the Las Vegas Valley when the interchange was completed 16 years ago while Clark County now sits at 2.3 million residents.

On average in 2020 about 191,000 vehicles traveled through the interchange daily. That number is expected to increase by 51 percent to 289,000 by 2040, according to NDOT.

NDOT is conducting a month-long virtual public hearing on the project on its website tied to its environmental assessment. NDOT will also host an in-person meeting June 23 at Lifeguard Arena in downtown Henderson.
<...>
Work on the project is anticipated to begin toward the end of 2024 and last until the end of 2026, Bowers said.

The project will be a design-build option, allowing work to begin before the project is fully designed. At the moment design is at 15 percent complete; once it reaches about 70 percent, work can begin. The design-builder will be chosen once the project is 30 percent designed.

The revamp will address traffic volume and safety aspects, with design issues updated to mitigate crashes and associated travel delays within the project's scope.

A crossover interchange is being considered for the area, which would be unique as there are only two other versions of the road project in the U.S. – one in the Baltimore area and one in Alabama.

"The highway is anticipated to cross-over in the eastbound and westbound directions, which would then allow access to ramps for the northbound and southbound highways without large flyovers that are typically seen in system-to-system interchanges,"  Bowers said.
<...>

NDOT project page: www.dot.nv.gov/projects-programs/transportation-projects/henderson-interchange.
Virtual public hearing website: https://www.henderson-interchange.com/



NDOT is moving forward with Alternative 2 from the prior study, which was the E/W crossover concept. (Are there really only two other locations in the US where this concept is currently deployed?)

Now being able to see renderings of the design, it makes more sense to me. And it actually introduces a few left-hand ramps. The connection between I-215 to the west and I-515/US-93/US-95 to the north (the dominant movements at the interchange) would be a two-directional flyover with left exits and entrances.

Very interesting that construction would begin in 2024 and take just two years to finish. Seems fast for this much work, but perhaps a significant amount of the work is taking place outside of the existing right-of-way, or where smaller movements can be shut down for an extended period to allow some major work to progress quickly.

Also, the original beltway interchange was finished in 2006, so it's kinda sad that this system interchange is being rebuilt after less than 20 years in operation...with some elements from that construction (like the 215 EB to 515 NB flyover ramp) not being retained... That's not a typical outcome for NDOT.
Roadfro - AARoads Pacific Southwest moderator since 2010, Nevada roadgeek since 1983.

Revive 755

Quote from: roadfro on June 19, 2022, 10:12:40 PM
NDOT is moving forward with Alternative 2 from the prior study, which was the E/W crossover concept. (Are there really only two other locations in the US where this concept is currently deployed?)

There's probably a prior thread on it but anyways:

* I-196 and US 31 in Grand Rapids, MI

* I-77 at I-85 in Charlotte, NC


Mod Edit: Fixed URL tags. –Roadfro

roadfro

Quote from: Revive 755 on June 19, 2022, 11:32:21 PM
Quote from: roadfro on June 19, 2022, 10:12:40 PM
NDOT is moving forward with Alternative 2 from the prior study, which was the E/W crossover concept. (Are there really only two other locations in the US where this concept is currently deployed?)

There's probably a prior thread on it but anyways:

* I-196 and US 31 in Grand Rapids, MI

* I-77 at I-85 in Charlotte, NC

The LVRJ article mentions crossovers near Baltimore and Atlanta. So that's a "no" in answer to my question...that's what I thought. Thanks.
Roadfro - AARoads Pacific Southwest moderator since 2010, Nevada roadgeek since 1983.

pderocco

Quote from: Revive 755 on June 19, 2022, 11:32:21 PM
Quote from: roadfro on June 19, 2022, 10:12:40 PM
NDOT is moving forward with Alternative 2 from the prior study, which was the E/W crossover concept. (Are there really only two other locations in the US where this concept is currently deployed?)

There's probably a prior thread on it but anyways:

* I-196 and US 31 in Grand Rapids, MI

* I-77 at I-85 in Charlotte, NC

Those are basically diverging diamond interchanges, but with the freeway doing the crossover instead of the surface road.

Then there are those places where two freeways do it:

I-20 and I-65 in Birmingham, AL

There was another at I-95 and I-695 NE of Baltimore, but they ripped that up and put in a full stack. You can still see it in the GE historical imagery.

roadfro

NDOT applied for some grant funding to rebuild this interchange and didn't get, but they are still planning to deliver the project without it. The design-build project is still planned to begin construction in 2024.

Despite $111M federal funding whiff, Henderson Spaghetti Bowl project still on track, Las Vegas Review-Journal, 1/30/2023
Quote
<...>
In the case of the planned reconstruction of the Henderson Interchange where U.S. Highway 95/215 Beltway meet, the Nevada Department of Transportation missed out on a federal grant that would have funded up to a third of the projected costs.

The U.S. Department of Transportation denied NDOTs submission to the Mega Grant Program. The program, spurred by the bipartisan infrastructure bill signed in 2020, has $5 billion available for qualifying projects.

NDOT's request for $111 million was not recommended because the federal Transportation Department deemed the project not cost efficient.

Despite being a large chunk of the $335 million project, the construction will go on.

"The grant mentioned should not change NDOT's plans for funding this project,"  NDOT spokesman Justin Hopkins said. "We planned to deliver the project without the grant."

The large-scale project is now set to be paid for by funds from the state gas tax.
<...>
Motorists can expect work to begin next year and last through 2026, with the cost and the timeline of the project subject to changes as the final design comes together.

"We anticipate the final design in 2024 with construction to start at the end of that year,"  Hopkins said. "Further refinement of the design will provide more specific cost and schedule estimates."
Roadfro - AARoads Pacific Southwest moderator since 2010, Nevada roadgeek since 1983.

roadfro

Projected start date for this project has been announced, plus some other tidbits.

Henderson Spaghetti Bowl revamp has a projected start date, Las Vegas Review-Journal, 7/17/2023
Quote from: Mick Ackers, LVRJ
Construction on the Henderson spaghetti bowl now has a projected start date.

Crews will begin the $350 million-$400 million overhaul of the Henderson interchange in late summer of 2024 on the section of roads where the 215 Beltway, U.S. Highway 95 and Lake Mead Parkway meet, according the the Nevada Department of Transportation.
<...>
Construction on the interchange is expected to take place through the end of 2026. The overhaul is needed to address traffic and safety improvements.
<...>
It will be a design-build project, allowing construction crews to get to work on the project once the design reaches 70 percent completion. NDOT and Henderson officials will choose among Ames Construction, Kiewit Infrastructure West and Fisher Sand and Gravel to carry out the project.

The design-build contract will be awarded in the spring of next year.

The preliminary design of the project includes a crossover-style interchange. Only two other similarly designed interchanges can be found in the U.S. – one in Maryland and one in Alabama.

"That's intended to get the major movements flowing between the interstates more efficiently,"  Johnson said.

Access to Gibson Road and Auto Show Drive from U.S. 95 would be restored with braided ramps as part of the project, after that access was eliminated during a 2019 restriping project. Also as part of the project, vehicle access to Gibson will be restored for motorists heading west on Lake Mead Parkway.

Auxiliary lanes will be added to sections around the interchange to minimize conflict points. "To keep traffic going through and to improve the safety for the traveling public,"  Johnson said.

A total of 27 bridges are within the project's scope, with 22 of those slated to remain in place or be rehabilitated with the revamp, with five of those bridges set for demolition. The project will see 11 additional bridges built around the area, bringing the future total of bridges at the interchange to 33.
Roadfro - AARoads Pacific Southwest moderator since 2010, Nevada roadgeek since 1983.



Opinions expressed here on belong solely to the poster and do not represent or reflect the opinions or beliefs of AARoads, its creators and/or associates.