I-15/Tropicana interchange rebuild

[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.

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.

The Lt. Governor role also puts him on the NDOT board. I'm pretty sure the HOV rules were relaxed to only four hours a day not too long after Stavros Anthony got on the board. But I think this project's planning, with the HOV exit, may have been a little too far along by the time he got on the board for that element of the project to be removed.

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

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

[Rothman]

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

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

Whoops.  Here come the change orders...

[roadfro]

NDOT just published a video today with a project update. The temporary DDI has been removed, and many of the major traffic restrictions at the interchange should be lifted this spring. Work to widen Tropicana west of the interchange and reconfiguring of the Dean Martin access is still ongoing.

[ilpt4u]

NDOT just published a video today with a project update. The temporary DDI has been removed, and many of the major traffic restrictions at the interchange should be lifted this spring. Work to widen Tropicana west of the interchange and reconfiguring of the Dean Martin access is still ongoing.

Just got back from Vegas. I almost snapped a picture of the interchange from the ped bridge between Excalibur and NYNY over Tropicana. Looks much better than it did my last trip out there around New Years! Looked like the SB 15 to EB Tropicana Flyover was back fully functional and open. Still lane closures on both the freeway and Tropicana

[roadfro]

The most substantial elements of this project are wrapping up, and most of the I-15/Tropicana interchange should now be open again as of 5am this morning. But there's still additional work to be done with this project.

NDOT Vegas post on X

After 3 years, 'critical' Las Vegas interchange to reopen to near-full capacity Mick Ackers, Las Vegas Review-Journal. 4/29/2025.

The Tropicana Avenue-Interstate 15 interchange will reopen this week to near-full capacity, bringing relief to drivers who have endured three years of traffic delays, lane shifts and closures during the $382 million reconstruction project.

The busy interchange, which has seen major impacts tied to the job since 2022, will reopen at 5 a.m. Thursday following a nearly full-day closure of Tropicana that begins at 9 a.m. Wednesday, the Nevada Department of Transportation announced Monday.
<...>
When [the interchange reopening] occurs, Tropicana Avenue over I-15 will feature four lanes in each direction between Polaris Avenue and Las Vegas Boulevard. The bridge had been down to two lanes in each direction and had a diverging diamond traffic pattern for much of the past three years, as crews worked to widen the road.

The newly widened I-15 northbound off-ramp to Tropicana eastbound and westbound, and the new Tropicana on-ramp to I-15 southbound will reopen.

Turn lanes from Tropicana to I-15 northbound and southbound will have one lane each because of ongoing median work.

The I-15 southbound flyover ramp to eastbound Tropicana, which reopened in March with one lane, will move to two lanes.

The Tropicana on-ramp to I-15 northbound will continue to have temporary reduced capacity, according to NDOT.
<...>
More work on the I-15/Tropicana project must be done before it is substantially completed.

I-15 between Hacienda and Harmon avenues remains at four lanes in each direction, which causes daily congestion during high traffic times. I-15 northbound will expand to five lanes on the morning of May 15, and the southbound lanes are expected to fully reopen on the morning of May 16, according to NDOT spokeswoman Kelsey McFarland. The reopenings are scheduled for about 5 a.m. both days, McFarland said.

In July, crews are scheduled to repave I-15 in both directions between Warm Springs and Flamingo roads. The repaving will require multiple full-directional closures of the interstate.

The stretch of high-occupancy vehicle lanes on I-15 that were removed during the project will be re-striped during the July repaving, according to McFarland.

Tropicana will be widened between Valley View Boulevard and Polaris, but this work is not expected to begin until the fall.

The major interchange project saw the demolition of the Tropicana bridge, which allowed crews to raise and widen the structure. The Harmon high-occupancy vehicle half-interchange, the reconfiguration of Dean Martin Drive and the addition of Joey Bishop Drive were part of the project. The four-way intersection at Tropicana and Dean Martin was eliminated as part of Dean Martin's new layout.

I went through part of this last week on a short Vegas trip. The one interesting change is the I-15 south off ramp split layout—to take the flyover to head eastbound on Tropicana (a left turn) you now need to be, counter-intuitively, in the right-hand lanes of the off ramp (previously, you kept left along this ramp).

[Plutonic Panda]

Great news now isn't there another project similar to this planned on another major road over the 15 nearby?

[Scott5114]

A few photos available on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/vegaslocals/comments/1kc8vym/trop_is_openish/

Wonder where they got the fluorescent box signs. I didn't think they made those anymore, since all of the newer ones I've seen have been the thin LED kind.

[FredAkbar]

The one interesting change is the I-15 south off ramp split layout—to take the flyover to head eastbound on Tropicana (a left turn) you now need to be, counter-intuitively, in the right-hand lanes of the off ramp

There's a couple ramps like that, and it is confusing. For example, the NB exit to Spring Mountain Road is like that too (left lane to go east (right), right lane to go west (left)).

I guess it's so that the flyover ramp has more room to switchback for the elevation gain?

[roadfro]

The one interesting change is the I-15 south off ramp split layout—to take the flyover to head eastbound on Tropicana (a left turn) you now need to be, counter-intuitively, in the right-hand lanes of the off ramp

I guess it's so that the flyover ramp has more room to switchback for the elevation gain?

I think it's actually due to needing to shift the location of the southbound ramps slightly to accommodate space to the west for Joey Bishop Drive (the new connector road that connects Dean Martin Dr underneath Tropicana). The westbound part of the ramp needed to be further east to avoid an awkward bridge structure and/or accommodate a better turn radius for that SB>WB right turn.

[US 395]

A few photos available on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/vegaslocals/comments/1kc8vym/trop_is_openish/

Wonder where they got the fluorescent box signs. I didn't think they made those anymore, since all of the newer ones I've seen have been the thin LED kind.

I've wondered that too. Up in the Reno area, new/replacement installations are of the thin, LED type. Difference is that they don't have them hanging anymore, at least not with the newer installs.

[roadfro]

A few photos available on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/vegaslocals/comments/1kc8vym/trop_is_openish/

Wonder where they got the fluorescent box signs. I didn't think they made those anymore, since all of the newer ones I've seen have been the thin LED kind.

I've wondered that too. Up in the Reno area, new/replacement installations are of the thin, LED type. Difference is that they don't have them hanging anymore, at least not with the newer installs.

It's a good question. And it's not like they saved the old light housings to reuse here, given everything else is brand new... They also used the old style on other aspects of the project, like the Joey Bishop intersections to Dean Martin (Street View).

It's also an interesting choice, given the switch to thin LED housings that is prevalent across the Vegas valley as signals are installed new or replaced.

[DenverBrian]

A few photos available on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/vegaslocals/comments/1kc8vym/trop_is_openish/

Wonder where they got the fluorescent box signs. I didn't think they made those anymore, since all of the newer ones I've seen have been the thin LED kind.

I've wondered that too. Up in the Reno area, new/replacement installations are of the thin, LED type. Difference is that they don't have them hanging anymore, at least not with the newer installs.

It's a good question. And it's not like they saved the old light housings to reuse here, given everything else is brand new... They also used the old style on other aspects of the project, like the Joey Bishop intersections to Dean Martin (Street View).

It's also an interesting choice, given the switch to thin LED housings that is prevalent across the Vegas valley as signals are installed new or replaced.

I know YESCO is a huge player in Vegas for lighted signs of all kinds... makes you wonder if they had some inventory to burn off and gave NDOT a deal.

[roadfro]

Posting here because it was built a part of this project...

Semi trucks are getting directed to the new HOV ramps at Harmon and causing damage to the bridge wall. They'll eventually be banning trucks because those ramps weren't designed to accommodate trucks.

[SeriesE]

Posting here because it was built a part of this project...

Semi trucks are getting directed to the new HOV ramps at Harmon and causing damage to the bridge wall. They'll eventually be banning trucks because those ramps weren't designed to accommodate trucks.

Truck driver should know better that they're not allowed in HOV lanes anyway because they are in the inside most lane

[Scott5114]

Truck driver should know better that they're not allowed in HOV lanes anyway because they are in the inside most lane

Truck driver should know better that they're not allowed in HOV lanes anyway because they are normally one person and not two.

[SeriesE]

Truck driver should know better that they're not allowed in HOV lanes anyway because they are normally one person and not two.

Well that too. Not sure if the comment was sarcastic or just adding on, but I'm going to assume the latter since the comments have been generally pleasant in the forum.

(Which reminds me, what happened to the Like button? I think it went away during the last forum downtime)

[74/171FAN]

(Which reminds me, what happened to the Like button? I think it went away during the last forum downtime)

It was disabled because it was inviting bots to some extent.

[Scott5114]

Well that too. Not sure if the comment was sarcastic or just adding on, but I'm going to assume the latter since the comments have been generally pleasant in the forum.

Yeah, just adding on, because they should be reading the sign and realizing they are not a HOV before they even consider the ramp's placement or whether they can fit on it.

(Which reminds me, what happened to the Like button? I think it went away during the last forum downtime)

It was disabled because it was inviting bots to some extent.

I think it wasn't so much that, as it was that the like button was making the server problems worse while the bots were running amok. It seems like things have settled down enough that I should poke Alex about it...

[roadfro]

Truck driver should know better that they're not allowed in HOV lanes anyway because they are in the inside most lane

Truck driver should know better that they're not allowed in HOV lanes anyway because they are normally one person and not two.

Well, the HOV lanes are only active four hours per day on weekdays, and aside from that they are open to all. So it is conceivable that a truck could legally enter the HOV lane here (geometry and future prohibition signage not withstanding). 

[vdeane]

I think it wasn't so much that, as it was that the like button was making the server problems worse while the bots were running amok. It seems like things have settled down enough that I should poke Alex about it...

Wasn't there some incompatibility between the like button and the current PHP version or something?

[Scott5114]

I think it wasn't so much that, as it was that the like button was making the server problems worse while the bots were running amok. It seems like things have settled down enough that I should poke Alex about it...

Wasn't there some incompatibility between the like button and the current PHP version or something?

Yes, and I think I tracked down how to fix it last night. Hopefully Alex can mess with it the next time he has time and we'll be back in business.

[mrsman]

Truck driver should know better that they're not allowed in HOV lanes anyway because they are in the inside most lane

Truck driver should know better that they're not allowed in HOV lanes anyway because they are normally one person and not two.

Well, the HOV lanes are only active four hours per day on weekdays, and aside from that they are open to all. So it is conceivable that a truck could legally enter the HOV lane here (geometry and future prohibition signage not withstanding).

Signage should be made clear that trucks are not allowed.  CA has a rule, generally, prohibiting trucks from the left lane of a freeway with at least three lanes in that same direction.  (And I believe it prohibits from the left two lanes for freeways with four or more lanes.)  But this is generally signed, and where there are exceptions you see a "Trucks OK" sign at the bottom of a BGS.  And I believe most HOV lanes there also have a NO TRUCKS signage, but they do generally encourage buses on the HOV lanes.

[stevashe]

Truck driver should know better that they're not allowed in HOV lanes anyway because they are in the inside most lane

Truck driver should know better that they're not allowed in HOV lanes anyway because they are normally one person and not two.

Well, the HOV lanes are only active four hours per day on weekdays, and aside from that they are open to all. So it is conceivable that a truck could legally enter the HOV lane here (geometry and future prohibition signage not withstanding).

Signage should be made clear that trucks are not allowed.  CA has a rule, generally, prohibiting trucks from the left lane of a freeway with at least three lanes in that same direction.  (And I believe it prohibits from the left two lanes for freeways with four or more lanes.)  But this is generally signed, and where there are exceptions you see a "Trucks OK" sign at the bottom of a BGS.  And I believe most HOV lanes there also have a NO TRUCKS signage, but they do generally encourage buses on the HOV lanes.

California's rules are actually more restrictive. Trucks are only allowed in the two right lanes, no matter how many lanes the freeway has. The only exceptions are where a "trucks ok" sign is posted, usually at a multilane exit.

It looks like Nevada doesn't specifically prohibit trucks in the left lane, but there is a law restricting driving in the left lane of you're holding up traffic or if someone wants to pass you.

[FredAkbar]

but they do generally encourage buses on the HOV lanes.

Buses in CA *love* the HOV lanes. Even outside of HOV hours, buses will camp in the left lane holding up traffic (at least here in the Bay Area). It might be that it's safer for them to use the far lane like that rather than a middle lane where they have to contend with traffic on both sides.

[Rothman]

but they do generally encourage buses on the HOV lanes.

Buses in CA *love* the HOV lanes. Even outside of HOV hours, buses will camp in the left lane holding up traffic (at least here in the Bay Area). It might be that it's safer for them to use the far lane like that rather than a middle lane where they have to contend with traffic on both sides.

Not only in CA.  Same in WA.