Interstate 215 / Clark County 215 - Bruce Woodbury Beltway
Southwesterly view of I-215/515 interchange from an adjacent industrial site by Henderson. - 04/02/2006
Interstate 215 and Clark County 215 together form the Las Vegas/Bruce Woodbury Beltway. The Bruce Woodbury Beltway begins at the Henderson Bowl Interchange with I-11 south, I-515 north and SR 564 in the southeast, then flows in a clockwise direction west to I-15 and Durango Drive. Continuing northwest, the beltway heads to Summerlin where it meets Summerlin Parkway (SR 613) and then U.S. 95 at the Centennial Bowl Interchange. The remainder of CC-215 travels east back to Interstate 15, northeast of Las Vegas.
The Interstate 215 portion of the Bruce Woodbury Beltway is currently only the southeast quadrant, between I-515 in Henderson and I-15 in the unincorporated community of Paradise near McCarran International Airport (LAS). It was completed in 2005 with the opening of the interchange at I-515/SR 564. The rest of the beltway is Clark County 215 because it was not constructed with state funds and or built to Interstate standards.
As the Clark County 215 (CC-215) beltway is brought to Interstate standards, it may eventually be included in a future extension of I-215. This upgrade was previously scheduled for completion in 2013, but the beltway remains at grade through the Centennial Bowl Interchange.
Work through Fall 2018 upgraded the beltway to limited access standards from Craig Road to Hualapai Way. This project ran from September 2015 to 2019. Another $70 million project started late July 2018 converted CC-215 to a full freeway from east of 5th Street (Exit 46) to the Union Pacific Railroad crossing. Work on this segment of the beltway was anticipated to wrap up in Summer 2020.2
The U.S. 95 Northwest Corridor Improvements Project upgrades and expands U.S. 95, with work started at CC-215 constructing a systems interchange. Named the Centennial Bowl, the second busiest interchange in Southern Nevada, is partially complete. Phase 3A work from August 2015 through Summer 2017 added a new flyover from CC-215 west to U.S. 95 south, and an at-grade ramp from U.S. 95 north to CC-215 east (completed in 2016). The $47 million, half mile bridge shuttling motorists from CC-215 west to U.S. 95 south debuted to traffic on July 12, 2017.1
What driving new #CentennialBowl ramp from WB 215 Beltway to SB US95 looks like! It opens @ 2pm (pay no heed to truck going wrong way?) pic.twitter.com/Dpc66Cwofb
— Clark County Nevada (@ClarkCountyNV) July 12, 2017
Started in January 2019, construction on Phase 3C added ramps from U.S. 95 to CC-215 west, U.S. 95 south to CC-215 east and from CC-215 east to U.S. 95 south. The first of these ramps opened September 28, 2020, joining U.S. 95 northbound traffic with CC-215 west. At 2,635 feet long and 75 feet in height, the flyover ramp is the state's second longest bridge.3 Additional ramps during this phase of construction include a 1,655 foot ramp connecting eastbound CC-215 with U.S. 95 south.3 The $73 million project concluded in late Fall 2020.
Beginning in early 2021, Phase 3D completes the systems interchange and upgrade CC-215 through the exchange into a six-lane freeway. Work on the Centennial Bowl interchange is scheduled to end in 2024.3
Interstate 215 - Clark County Route 215 Guides
Inner
Interstate 215 West - 46 photos
Clark County Route 215 West / North - 50 photos
Clark County Route 215 North / East - 72 photos
Outer
Clark County Route 215 West / South - 79 photos
Clark County Route 215 South / East - 50 photos
Interstate 215 East - 45 photos
Interstate 215 was approved by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) on April 17, 1993 over 18.9 miles of the proposed Las Vegas beltway, from SR 593 (Tropicana Avenue) southeast to U.S. 93 and U.S. 95 at Henderson. When it was first constructed in 1996, I-215 acted more like a spur route from Interstate 15 to McCarran International Airport (LAS), via the connection along SR 171 and the Airport Tunnel. Interstate 215 opened to traffic between I-15 and SR 146 (St. Rose Parkway) south and to Pecos Road north (Exit 6) by January 2001. Completion from Exit 6 east to Stephanie Street (Exit 3) followed by Winter 2002. The final link in the original route was completed from Stephanie Street east to I-515/U.S. 93-95 (Exit 1) later in 2005.
Construction of the Bruce Woodbury Beltway between St. Rose Parkway and Interstate 515 directly overlaid Lake Mead Parkway (SR 146). I-215 and SR 146 were cosigned until 2003, when the overlap was eliminated and the former alignment of SR 146 east of I-515 was recommissioned as SR 564.
Completion dates for the Las Vegas Beltway:
- Conversion of SR 564 (Lake Mead Drive), previously a four-lane arterial, from Interstate 515 west to Gibson Road into a six-lane freeway; construction completed in 2005.
- Interstate-standard freeway from Gibson Road (Exit 2) west to I-15 (Exit 12) was constructed in stages between 1996 and 1999: Interstate 15 (Fish Bowl) to SR 171; SR 171 (Exit 10) to Pecos Road; Pecos Road (Exit 6) to Gibson Road.
- Interstate-standard from Interstate 15 (Fish Bowl) west to Decatur Boulevard (Exit 13), part of CC-215.
- At-grade frontage road system from Decatur Boulevard northwest to Tropicana Avenue (Exit 20), with wide median reserved for future freeway construction. CC-215 opened from Decatur Boulevard to Rainbow Boulevard on November 11, 1999.
- Decatur Boulevard to Buffalo Drive - conversion to freeway completed in late 2004
- Buffalo Drive to Tropicana Avenue - conversion to freeway completed in mid-2006
- Freeway-standard from Tropicana Avenue north to Cheyenne Avenue (Exit 30), completed with bridges and interchanges. On March 13, 2001, CC-215 opened between Sahara Avenue (Exit 25) and Charleston Boulevard. On March 27, 2001, it opened from Charleston Boulevard (Exit 26) to Summerlin Parkway (Exit 27). The beltway initially varied between freeway sections and at-grade intersections in the area between Tropicana Avenue and Cheyenne Avenue.
- As of mid-2003, CC-215 was completed as an at-grade expressway along the northern segment, with future provisions to upgrade the route to freeway standards.
With completion of the Fish Bowl interchange joining I-15/215 with CC-215 west, signs until early 2002 displayed "Decatur Boulevard to Beltway West." Replacement signs included Clark County 215 shields. The loop ramp from I-215 west to Interstate 15 south was among the last of the ramps to open.
Exit numbers along the I-215 portion of the beltway, which increase from east to west, were renumbered:
- Exit 3 for Stephanie Street - former Exit 1
- Exit 6 for Pecos Road - former Exit 4
- Exit 10 for Airport Spur - former Exit 8
- Exit 12 for Interstate 15 - former Exit 10
The exit to SR 564 (Lake Mead Parkway) at the southeast end of Interstate 215 is unnumbered.
Eastern Beltway
NDOT prepared conceptual plans with several proposed alignments of an eastern beltway for public input. Public response resulted in many preferring super arterials be built instead of an eastern beltway segment. High costs for right of way acquisition through dense residential and commercial areas also put the beltway concept out of reach financially.
A previous plan called for an eastern extension of the beltway by extending the freeway past Interstate 515 into Henderson. One of the three possible alignments outlined for the Interstate 11 corridor involves the eastern beltway corridor.
scenes
Older shields for Clark County 215 used a black outline and a rocky diamond surrounding the numbers. Newer assemblies use a simple rounded diamond, with a yellow outline.
11/10/00
Clark County 215 overpass and bridge art at Sahara Avenue (Exit 25).
11/10/00
The CC-215 beltway fully opened to traffic at Sahara Avenue here by Spring 2001.
11/10/00
Clark County 215 freeway construction near Summerlin. Bruce Woodbury Beltway opened to traffic along this stretch by November 2001.
11/10/00
References:
- "Centennial Bowl flyover bridge opens in northwest Las Vegas." Las Vegas Review-Journal (NV), July 12, 2017.
- "Improvements coming to 215 Beltway in North Las Vegas." Las Vegas Review-Journal (NV), July 20, 2018.
- "Nevada’s 2nd-longest bridge opens to traffic in northwest Las Vegas." Las Vegas Review-Journal (NV), September 28, 2020.
Photo Credits:
- Andy Field: 11/10/00
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Page Updated Tuesday September 29, 2020.