Las Vegas Outer Beltway?

[NE2]

http://www.openstreetmap.org/?lat=36.3102&lon=-115.2758&zoom=14&layers=M
Is this actually planned or just some BS someone added?

[FLRoads]

Apparently it is a real proposal. Here is an article on it from 2004:

http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2004/Jan-17-Sat-2004/news/23016017.html

According to the article, the proposed route would be a roughly 25-mile "freeway-expressway/super-arterial" along a path that is almost entirely vacant desert right now.

Given that this article was written in 2004 and that the economy has tanked so much since then (especially in Las Vegas), the likelihood of this being constructed anytime soon would seem remote, but that is just a guess.

[NE2]

Interesting. Seems a little too close to 215 to be useful.

[agentsteel53]

the proposed route would be a roughly 25-mile "freeway-expressway/super-arterial"

that's the problem with the current Clark County 215 - it isn't a full freeway, and therefore isn't an effective bypass of Las Vegas. 

for it to be useful, it needs to avoid the traffic lights which are a current problem on the non-interstate portion of 215.

[Bigmikelakers]

Speaking of Vegas Beltways, has there every been any proposal to build a eastern portion of the beltway to complete the loop around the whole valley?

[Brandon]

the proposed route would be a roughly 25-mile "freeway-expressway/super-arterial"

that's the problem with the current Clark County 215 - it isn't a full freeway, and therefore isn't an effective bypass of Las Vegas. 

for it to be useful, it needs to avoid the traffic lights which are a current problem on the non-interstate portion of 215.

Isn't it planned to become a full freeway one day?

[NE2]

Yes - the current main lanes curve outward at intersections where the ramps will be. http://www.openstreetmap.org/?lat=36.271&lon=-115.19&zoom=13&layers=M

[DAL764]

That idea looks like a waste of money, IMHO. Even 7 years ago I doubt there any signs such a beltway would even be needed. I mean, as far as I can tell the current beltway (215) hasn't seen any upgrades save for an interchange at Aliant Pkwy that would upgrade it to full freeway standard. I understand that the LV metro area has already quite a bit north of the 215 but still, between actually upgrading it to a full freeway without any intersections and traffic lights, and having space for 3-4 lanes per direction (judging by Google imagery), there should be plenty of traffic growth potential for the foreseeable future, rendering another beltway useless.

[roadfro]

The outer beltway in the northwest/north end of the Las Vegas valley was a concept that was thrown around some time ago. This was during the mid 2000s, a time when that area of the valley was still growing quite rapidly with big developers selling homes in new subdivisions starting at 250-300k. I haven't heard or read about this proposal in a long time, probably since reading that news article back in 2004...

Since the economy tanked and foreclosures became rampant, developers have slowed/suspended new home building around much of Vegas. Also, the more recent building booms in Vegas have been in master planned areas around the southwest end of the valley and not along the northern fringes. So, I have a hard time believing there's been any serious movement has been made on the outer beltway idea. It sure would not be appropriate to indicate this proposal on a map at this time.

[triplemultiplex]

There is not enough water for Las Vegas to sprawl to the point where this corridor would become useful regardless of what the economy does.  Anyone been to Lake Mead in the last decade?

[roadfro]

Long batch of replies to various posts...

that's the problem with the current Clark County 215 - it isn't a full freeway, and therefore isn't an effective bypass of Las Vegas. 

for it to be useful, it needs to avoid the traffic lights which are a current problem on the non-interstate portion of 215.

The 215 beltway was never intended to serve as a "bypass" in the typical road sense of the word. It was designed increase mobility and relieve traffic congestion for local trips on I-15 & US 95 by moving some of those trips to the outer fringes out and around instead of through the urban core. Anybody heading straight through Vegas from south to north (or vice versa) without stopping won't save any time by taking the 215.

The reason Clark County built the initial CC-215 sections of beltway as a mish-mash of frontage roads, expressway and freeway was good intentioned. Had they stuck to the original plan of building freeway segments as the money came in, they estimated that the whole beltway wouldn't get finished until 2020 at the earliest. Planners wanted to get something out on the ground as soon as possible, to help relieve traffic and put in some improvements in the interim. This got the initial alignment completed and on the ground by 2003, with upgrades to freeway coming as funding was available.  Even with the signalized intersections, the traffic patterns began changing rather quickly and commuters were finding the beltway to be a viable alternative to the surface streets. At this point in time, there are only traffic signals on the northern leg of the beltway, with about 2/3 of the entire 215 (33 of 53 miles, plus some small isolated segments) having been constructed to full freeway.

I mean, as far as I can tell the current beltway (215) hasn't seen any upgrades save for an interchange at Aliant Pkwy that would upgrade it to full freeway standard.

The Aliante Pkwy interchange was completed a few years ago (2009, I think). There is a project underway currently to complete the interchange at North 5th Street and do full freeway improvements between the Aliante Pkwy and North 5th interchanges.

Another project, which would build freeway upgrades to the 2.5 miles between Tenaya Way (just east of US 95) and Decatur Blvd (west of Aliante) is ready to construct and was put out to bid. This project encompasses probably the busiest section of the beltway that still has signalized intersections. Unfortunately, the project is currently on hold due to litigation between two different contractors over the county's decision in the bid process.

Isn't it planned to become a full freeway one day?

Under the accelerated scheme, the full freeway build-out was initially estimated to be completed around 2013. With less money coming in from tax revenues, that date is pushed out a few years at this point. Once completed to full Interstate highway standards, it is expected that the county will turn the beltway over to NDOT and NDOT will petition for the I-215 designation to be applied along the entire route.

Speaking of Vegas Beltways, has there every been any proposal to build a eastern portion of the beltway to complete the loop around the whole valley?

NDOT commissioned a long-range transportation needs study for the Las Vegas Valley back in 2001 which included a feasibility study on an eastern beltway alignment. The problem with an eastern leg is that it would have to be built through an established part of town (whereas the existing beltway was planned when there was very little development in the area and right of way costs were lower and/or land was obtained cheaply from the BLM). The consultant estimated the various conceptual eastern beltway options would each come with a $1 billion + price tag. That, along with public comments favoring cheaper proposals such as superarterials, was enough for NDOT in 2002 to back off on the eastern beltway concept.

[Ubeans2001]

Well, based on how I've seen the city grow in the past decade an extra "super-arterial " expressway on the north end of town probably wouldn't do any good for another 20 years. Looks pretty interesting though how they would show that as a proposed freeway.

[NE2]

The outer beltway in the northwest/north end of the Las Vegas valley was a concept that was thrown around some time ago. This was during the mid 2000s, a time when that area of the valley was still growing quite rapidly with big developers selling homes in new subdivisions starting at 250-300k. I haven't heard or read about this proposal in a long time, probably since reading that news article back in 2004...

Since the economy tanked and foreclosures became rampant, developers have slowed/suspended new home building around much of Vegas. Also, the more recent building booms in Vegas have been in master planned areas around the southwest end of the valley and not along the northern fringes. So, I have a hard time believing there's been any serious movement has been made on the outer beltway idea. It sure would not be appropriate to indicate this proposal on a map at this time.

Thanks for the update. I've removed it from OSM (ramps deleted, main lanes changed to highway=unbuilt which doesn't render).