Interstate 215 Nevada
Overview
Interstate 215 makes up the southeast quadrant of the 51 mile long Bruce Woodbury Beltway around Henderson and Las Vegas, connecting I-15 south of the Las Vegas Strip with Interstate 11 south in Henderson. Extending 11.1 miles, the I-215 portion of the beltway provides direct access to McCarran International Airport (LAS), and also serves as a commuter route, shuffling local traffic between Henderson and the south reaches of the Las Vegas area. The Bruce Woodbury Beltway begins at a systems exchange with I-11/U.S. 93-95 and State Route 564 in central Henderson, following the former footprint of Lake Mead Parkway before turning north toward LAS. Near the airport, the freeway curves west again ahead of the interchange at Exits 12 A/B with I-15 near the south end of the Las Vegas Strip.
Though I-215 ends at the exchange with I-15, the Bruce Woodbury Beltway continues west and north around Las Vegas as Clark County Route 215, reconnecting with I-15 north of Nellis Air Force Base.
History
The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) formally approved 18.9 miles of the I-215 designation April 17, 1993, between Tropicana Avenue (SR 593) near Spring Valley and I-515/U.S. 93-95 in Henderson, though signs only appear on the 11.1 mile section between I-15 and I-515. Completion of the initial stretch of I-215 in 1996 consisted of a short spur between I-15 and Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) via the connector and tunnel along State Route 171. Additional segments were built between 1996 and 1999, with the final mile between Gibson Road and I-515 being completed by 2005.
Route Information
Sources: 2022 State Maintained Highways of Nevada, Descriptions and Maps (NDOT)
*-December 31, 2021 Interstate Route Log and Finders List
I-215 Annual Average Daily Traffic (AADT)
Source: 2019 AADT Traffic Records Information Access (TRINA) – Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT)
Photo Guides
East End – Henderson, Nevada
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Prior to its completion to I-515, I-215 east concluded at at-grade intersection with Gibson Road in Henderson. Once Bruce Woodbury Beltway fully opened to the Oran K. Gragson Freeway, SR 146 (formerly Lake Mead Drive) was truncated to an end at I-215 and St. Rose Parkway. Photo by Jeff Royston (12/00).
North at
8.2 miles in length, SR 564 follows Lake Mead Parkway east to the center of Henderson before turning northeasterly to the entrance of Lake Mead National Recreation Area. The easternmost portion of I-215 overlays a former segment of Lake Mead Parkway between I-11/U.S. 93-95 and SR 146 at Exit 6. 03/31/22
South at
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West End – Paradise, Nevada
West at
East at
South at
North at
Exit 33 leaves I-15 north with two lanes for SR 160, I-215 and CC 215. Improvements made at the exchange with SR 160 by 2012 included consolidating exiting traffic into this single egress point. SR 160 travels west to Enterprise and north to Pahrump. Blue Diamond Road leads the route east to parallel Las Vegas Boulevard. 03/27/22
Sources:
- Mr. Mojave. “Las Vegas Beltway Complete…sorta.” Online posting, misc.transport.road, November 27, 2003.
Page updated April 10, 2023.