I-15/Tropicana interchange rebuild

[roadfro]

I would normally think that LV is a good market for HOT lanes because so many of the tourists have a high roller mentality and are willing to spend money.  But you can't go against the constitution.

Wait, why are there tourists on the freeways to begin with? Most of them don't leave the Strip the entire time they're there, and if they do it's to go to Fremont Street.

If they're driving up from California, the I-15 HOV lane isn't going to be of any use to them, since it doesn't access any of the Strip exits.

The new HOV interchange at Harmon Ave would be useful in this regard. With access only to/from the south and situated between Tropicana & Flamingo, it provides HOV access to the heart of the Strip (right at the City Center complex).

[heynow415]

I would normally think that LV is a good market for HOT lanes because so many of the tourists have a high roller mentality and are willing to spend money.  But you can't go against the constitution.

If they're driving up from California, the I-15 HOV lane isn't going to be of any use to them, since it doesn't access any of the Strip exits.

The other issue would be that, unless Nevada used the same toll pass as California (Fastrak), drivers coming from CA wouldn't be able to use it anyway without getting a Nevada-specific toll pass.

[mrsman]

I would normally think that LV is a good market for HOT lanes because so many of the tourists have a high roller mentality and are willing to spend money.  But you can't go against the constitution.

If they're driving up from California, the I-15 HOV lane isn't going to be of any use to them, since it doesn't access any of the Strip exits.

The other issue would be that, unless Nevada used the same toll pass as California (Fastrak), drivers coming from CA wouldn't be able to use it anyway without getting a Nevada-specific toll pass.

The vast majority of Nevada's population lives relatively close to the CA border.  I think this is the main reason why a lot of CA practices for road signage seem to be adopted by NV as well.  I would imagine that if NV adopts a toll transponder, it should be compatible with Fastrak.

Ideally, all of North America should use the same type of transponder.

[jdbx]

I would normally think that LV is a good market for HOT lanes because so many of the tourists have a high roller mentality and are willing to spend money.  But you can't go against the constitution.

If they're driving up from California, the I-15 HOV lane isn't going to be of any use to them, since it doesn't access any of the Strip exits.

The other issue would be that, unless Nevada used the same toll pass as California (Fastrak), drivers coming from CA wouldn't be able to use it anyway without getting a Nevada-specific toll pass.

The vast majority of Nevada's population lives relatively close to the CA border.  I think this is the main reason why a lot of CA practices for road signage seem to be adopted by NV as well.  I would imagine that if NV adopts a toll transponder, it should be compatible with Fastrak.

Ideally, all of North America should use the same type of transponder.

MAP-21 was supposed to make this happen, but without any funding or enforcement mechanism, there seems to be little momentum to do so, at least here on the West Coast.

[Scott5114]

The vast majority of Nevada's population lives relatively close to the CA border.  I think this is the main reason why a lot of CA practices for road signage seem to be adopted by NV as well.

I think this is more to do with 1) the first signs in Nevada were supplied by ACSC and CSAA, the same organizations that provided signage in California, so the obvious evolution from those standards was the same on both sides of the state line, 2) California was the first to figure out how to do a whole bunch of stuff with freeway signage, so it was the obvious example to draw off of for a state that bordered it and 3) because California was such a large state, economies of scale meant it was cheaper to just buy the same things CA was buying.

[cl94]

NV and CA standards are more different than you'd expect. The only real commonalities are the dominant style of overhead sign gantry, which is also an old design used in Hawaii, and the design of mile markers, which is also used to some degree in Ohio. Historically, both used the same type of guy-wired signal mast arm, but NV moved to their current standard a long time ago. And NV signs/markings are almost always pure MUTCD.

[roadfro]

NDOT posted this YouTube video recently, showing how traffic patterns at the 15/Trop interchange are going to be altered as they attempt to open up more capacity near Allegiant Stadium leading up to the Super Bowl, and subsequently perform "Dropicana 2.0" and move into the next major phase of construction.

[SSR_317]

Ideally, all of North America should use the same type of transponder.

Ideally, all of North America should ELIMINATE ALL TOLLED ROADS!

But I know that ain't gonna happen, as our governments just love to pass the costs of highways (and most everything else) down to the poorest people, all while giving huge tax breaks to the wealthy and corporate.

[Plutonic Panda]

Ideally, all of North America should use the same type of transponder.

Ideally, all of North America should ELIMINATE ALL TOLLED ROADS!

Amen!

[CtrlAltDel]

I-15 is closed this weekend.

[Plutonic Panda]

For what? They're closing the entire stretch of the freeway just for the one interchange?

[DenverBrian]

For what? They're closing the entire stretch of the freeway just for the one interchange?

Define "entire stretch." This is from Flamingo to Russell Road.

[Plutonic Panda]

For what? They're closing the entire stretch of the freeway just for the one interchange?

Define "entire stretch." This is from Flamingo to Russell Road.

That would be the stretch shown in the graphic above.

[DenverBrian]

For what? They're closing the entire stretch of the freeway just for the one interchange?

Define "entire stretch." This is from Flamingo to Russell Road.

That would be the stretch shown in the graphic above.

Part of it. The "stretch" shown as closed goes all the way to I-215/CC-215. But closure articles indicate only Russell Road to Flamingo.

[Plutonic Panda]

For what? They're closing the entire stretch of the freeway just for the one interchange?

Define "entire stretch." This is from Flamingo to Russell Road.

That would be the stretch shown in the graphic above.

Part of it. The "stretch" shown as closed goes all the way to I-215/CC-215. But closure articles indicate only Russell Road to Flamingo.

I see that would make more sense.

[roadfro]

For what? They're closing the entire stretch of the freeway just for the one interchange?

Define "entire stretch." This is from Flamingo to Russell Road.

That would be the stretch shown in the graphic above.

Part of it. The "stretch" shown as closed goes all the way to I-215/CC-215. But closure articles indicate only Russell Road to Flamingo.

While it looks like the closure extends all the way to the 215, note that I-15 has C/D roads from Tropicana south toward the 215 and beyond, with the ramps between C/D roads and Russell to the south branching off the mainline near the 215 interchange. It appears I-15 access to Russell is maintained from the south. But to affect a closure of the I-15 mainline ends up involving closure of the 215 ramps to I-15 northbound (because there's nowhere else for that traffic to exit before Tropicana if they don't go to Russell).

[roadfro]

Bump to provide a link with an update on this project

Freeway restrictions tied to $305M I-15/Tropicana to be lifted by year's end
Mick Ackers, Las Vegas Review-Journal, 6/10/2024

As the summer begins the bulk of the work on the yearslong Interstate 15-Tropicana Avenue project will enter its final stretch.

Since March 2022 motorists' commutes near the resort corridor have been significantly affected by the $305 million road project.

Work crews are on pace to complete the third of five phases this fall, which will remove most traffic restrictions on I-15 and over the Tropicana bridge.

New bridges are being built over Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin drives and the I-15 southbound flyover bridge to Tropicana eastbound will reopen. The flyover bridge has been shuttered since 2022 as crews reconstructed the decades-old bridge.

The Tropicana bridge over I-15 also will be completed this fall. The bridge was torn down in sections to be rebuilt higher above the freeway and to widen Tropicana.

Support beams for the Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra bridges soon will be constructed, which will provide visual progress of the project, said Kelsey McFarland, spokeswoman for the Nevada Department of Transportation.

Drivers should expect similar lane restrictions that are in place now throughout the summer, with I-15 down to four lanes in both directions between Hacienda Avenue and Sunset Road, she said.
<...>
The diverging diamond interchange lane set up on Tropicana will be removed once work on widening the bridge is done.

A new on-ramp from Tropicana to I-15 southbound will also open in the fall as part of the finish of phase three, which will operate similarly to the previous on-ramp. The only difference is the new ramp will be located above Dean Martin, to allow for the reconfiguration of that road to occur in phase four.

When work shifts from phase three to phase four, the bulk of the traffic restrictions will shift to Dean Martin, as the road is reconfigured underneath the Tropicana bridge.

"The restrictions will be moving to phase four and a lot of those restrictions will mostly be on Dean Martin Drive," McFarland said. "Once this is complete by late fall, that's when drivers will start to see a lot more relief as far as restrictions on both Tropicana and I-15."

The fourth phase of the project is scheduled to last through the summer of 2025.
<...>

[US 395]

Bump to provide a link with an update on this project

Freeway restrictions tied to $305M I-15/Tropicana to be lifted by year's end
Mick Ackers, Las Vegas Review-Journal, 6/10/2024

As the summer begins the bulk of the work on the yearslong Interstate 15-Tropicana Avenue project will enter its final stretch.

Since March 2022 motorists' commutes near the resort corridor have been significantly affected by the $305 million road project.

Work crews are on pace to complete the third of five phases this fall, which will remove most traffic restrictions on I-15 and over the Tropicana bridge.

New bridges are being built over Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin drives and the I-15 southbound flyover bridge to Tropicana eastbound will reopen. The flyover bridge has been shuttered since 2022 as crews reconstructed the decades-old bridge.

The Tropicana bridge over I-15 also will be completed this fall. The bridge was torn down in sections to be rebuilt higher above the freeway and to widen Tropicana.

Support beams for the Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra bridges soon will be constructed, which will provide visual progress of the project, said Kelsey McFarland, spokeswoman for the Nevada Department of Transportation.

Drivers should expect similar lane restrictions that are in place now throughout the summer, with I-15 down to four lanes in both directions between Hacienda Avenue and Sunset Road, she said.
<...>
The diverging diamond interchange lane set up on Tropicana will be removed once work on widening the bridge is done.

A new on-ramp from Tropicana to I-15 southbound will also open in the fall as part of the finish of phase three, which will operate similarly to the previous on-ramp. The only difference is the new ramp will be located above Dean Martin, to allow for the reconfiguration of that road to occur in phase four.

When work shifts from phase three to phase four, the bulk of the traffic restrictions will shift to Dean Martin, as the road is reconfigured underneath the Tropicana bridge.

"The restrictions will be moving to phase four and a lot of those restrictions will mostly be on Dean Martin Drive," McFarland said. "Once this is complete by late fall, that's when drivers will start to see a lot more relief as far as restrictions on both Tropicana and I-15."

The fourth phase of the project is scheduled to last through the summer of 2025.
<...>

I find it insane that to redo the Trop interchange is costing 305 million bucks. I'm sure today's prices on stuff probably isn't helping but still...

[Rothman]

Bump to provide a link with an update on this project

Freeway restrictions tied to $305M I-15/Tropicana to be lifted by year's end
Mick Ackers, Las Vegas Review-Journal, 6/10/2024

As the summer begins the bulk of the work on the yearslong Interstate 15-Tropicana Avenue project will enter its final stretch.

Since March 2022 motorists' commutes near the resort corridor have been significantly affected by the $305 million road project.

Work crews are on pace to complete the third of five phases this fall, which will remove most traffic restrictions on I-15 and over the Tropicana bridge.

New bridges are being built over Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin drives and the I-15 southbound flyover bridge to Tropicana eastbound will reopen. The flyover bridge has been shuttered since 2022 as crews reconstructed the decades-old bridge.

The Tropicana bridge over I-15 also will be completed this fall. The bridge was torn down in sections to be rebuilt higher above the freeway and to widen Tropicana.

Support beams for the Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra bridges soon will be constructed, which will provide visual progress of the project, said Kelsey McFarland, spokeswoman for the Nevada Department of Transportation.

Drivers should expect similar lane restrictions that are in place now throughout the summer, with I-15 down to four lanes in both directions between Hacienda Avenue and Sunset Road, she said.
<...>
The diverging diamond interchange lane set up on Tropicana will be removed once work on widening the bridge is done.

A new on-ramp from Tropicana to I-15 southbound will also open in the fall as part of the finish of phase three, which will operate similarly to the previous on-ramp. The only difference is the new ramp will be located above Dean Martin, to allow for the reconfiguration of that road to occur in phase four.

When work shifts from phase three to phase four, the bulk of the traffic restrictions will shift to Dean Martin, as the road is reconfigured underneath the Tropicana bridge.

"The restrictions will be moving to phase four and a lot of those restrictions will mostly be on Dean Martin Drive," McFarland said. "Once this is complete by late fall, that's when drivers will start to see a lot more relief as far as restrictions on both Tropicana and I-15."

The fourth phase of the project is scheduled to last through the summer of 2025.
<...>

I find it insane that to redo the Trop interchange is costing 305 million bucks. I'm sure today's prices on stuff probably isn't helping but still...

Seems in line with what I'd expect for an urban interchange, given general inflation over the past few years.

[Scott5114]

That, and the flyover isn't cheap.

Hopefully this doesn't impact Frank Sinatra too badly, as that's the "backdoor" way into the resorts on the west side of the strip, and therefore an important commuter corridor (because who the hell wants to start their day dealing with Las Vegas Boulevard?)

[roadfro]

I find it insane that to redo the Trop interchange is costing 305 million bucks. I'm sure today's prices on stuff probably isn't helping but still...

It's not just the Tropicana interchange in this project, although that is the main feature. This project includes adding the half HOV interchange at Harmon, realigning Dean Martin Dr to go under Tropicana and the associated connections to maintain access from Tropicana, fixing a major choke point at the northbound C/D road on I-15 (which is what necessitated rebuilding the Tropicana overpass in the first place), repaving I-15 in the project area (originally programmed as a separate project), and adding more ITS infrastructure on I-15 (e.g. more stadium-sized VMS south of Tropicana [to I-215, I believe]). It's a big job.

That, and the flyover isn't cheap.

Hopefully this doesn't impact Frank Sinatra too badly, as that's the "backdoor" way into the resorts on the west side of the strip, and therefore an important commuter corridor (because who the hell wants to start their day dealing with Las Vegas Boulevard?)

Most of the original flyover is remaining intact and used as is. They had to rebuild the approach side up to the point it crossed over Tropicana, due to the widened roadway and realigned off ramp.

Operations and access on Frank Sinatra should remain as it was prior to construction. All they really did there was widen the Tropicana bridge above, and I think there is new pedestrian access being constructed from Tropicana down to Frank Sinatra (which should provide additional walking access to T-Mobile Arena).

[US 395]

I find it insane that to redo the Trop interchange is costing 305 million bucks. I'm sure today's prices on stuff probably isn't helping but still...

It's not just the Tropicana interchange in this project, although that is the main feature. This project includes adding the half HOV interchange at Harmon, realigning Dean Martin Dr to go under Tropicana and the associated connections to maintain access from Tropicana, fixing a major choke point at the northbound C/D road on I-15 (which is what necessitated rebuilding the Tropicana overpass in the first place), repaving I-15 in the project area (originally programmed as a separate project), and adding more ITS infrastructure on I-15 (e.g. more stadium-sized VMS south of Tropicana [to I-215, I believe]). It's a big job.

That, and the flyover isn't cheap.

Hopefully this doesn't impact Frank Sinatra too badly, as that's the "backdoor" way into the resorts on the west side of the strip, and therefore an important commuter corridor (because who the hell wants to start their day dealing with Las Vegas Boulevard?)

Most of the original flyover is remaining intact and used as is. They had to rebuild the approach side up to the point it crossed over Tropicana, due to the widened roadway and realigned off ramp.

Operations and access on Frank Sinatra should remain as it was prior to construction. All they really did there was widen the Tropicana bridge above, and I think there is new pedestrian access being constructed from Tropicana down to Frank Sinatra (which should provide additional walking access to T-Mobile Arena).

There is HOV infrastructure being built still? I thought that Stavros Anthony (the current lt. gov for those outside of Nevada) was going to put a stop to that. He's had a beef with anything HOV since he sat on the Las Vegas City Council.

[Rothman]

I find it insane that to redo the Trop interchange is costing 305 million bucks. I'm sure today's prices on stuff probably isn't helping but still...

It's not just the Tropicana interchange in this project, although that is the main feature. This project includes adding the half HOV interchange at Harmon, realigning Dean Martin Dr to go under Tropicana and the associated connections to maintain access from Tropicana, fixing a major choke point at the northbound C/D road on I-15 (which is what necessitated rebuilding the Tropicana overpass in the first place), repaving I-15 in the project area (originally programmed as a separate project), and adding more ITS infrastructure on I-15 (e.g. more stadium-sized VMS south of Tropicana [to I-215, I believe]). It's a big job.

"Shoot, a fella could have a pretty good weekend in Vegas with all that stuff."

My bet is the bid will be higher than $305m

[Scott5114]

Operations and access on Frank Sinatra should remain as it was prior to construction. All they really did there was widen the Tropicana bridge above, and I think there is new pedestrian access being constructed from Tropicana down to Frank Sinatra (which should provide additional walking access to T-Mobile Arena).

I meant more that I hope Frank Sinatra isn't impacted too badly by the construction operations themselves. When there's an event at the arena that lets out onto Frank Sinatra it screws things up in the area real good, so I can imagine any construction-related closures would be even worse.

[roadfro]

My bet is the bid will be higher than $305m

We're well past the bid stage. The project is well underway.