The remaining portion of the Boulder City bypass is set to open on August 9, 2018. This stretch of road is part of the development of the I-11 corridor, which is planned to run from Nogales, AZ at the Mexican border, through Arizona, Nevada and Idaho to the Canadian Border at the north end. The Boulder City bypass is estimated to reduce the drive time between Las Vegas and Phoenix by about a half hour.
Background
Interstate 11 is the first interstate highway to be planned and built since 1992. Las Vegas and Phoenix are the only two cities in the United States with populations exceeding one million that are not linked by an interstate highway. U.S. 93 has been the link between Las Vegas and Phoenix, but is not built to Interstate Highway standards, with two-way traffic on 2-3 lanes for most of the route, and curves and hills which exceed interstate standards. Also, U.S. 93 requires driving through several small cities on that route. Additionally, U.S. 93 has been prone to accidents due to the deficiencies of that road.
The new I-11 will eliminate those disadvantages and will allow for the entire route to be driven on an interstate highway. Construction on I-11 began with a groundbreaking ceremony which took place on April 6, 2015. The project was divided into two phases, with phase 1 managed by Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT), and phase 2 managed by the Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada (RTC).
Phase 1, a 2.5 mile stretch of road from Foothill Drive in Henderson, to Silverline Road just past the Railroad Pass Casino, was completed in May 2018. Phase 2 which ran concurrently with Phase 1, is a 12.5-mile roadway, connecting Phase 1 with the current U.S. 93 on the Nevada side of the Mike O’Callaghan-Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge. Both phases were scheduled to open in 2018. Phase 2’s original open date was announced as October 2018, however RTC announced earlier this year that due to construction efficiencies that Phase 2 would open in August.
The Future of I-11
Once the Boulder City Bypass opens, I-515 will be re-designated as I-11, and signage will be updated to reflect that change. NDOT has been holding hearings around the state regarding I-11’s routing through Nevada, but generally, north of Las Vegas, it will follow the current U.S. 95, with public hearings scheduled in several locations in Nevada, to discuss extended routing options through Nevada to I-80, in late July to early August.
It has yet to be determined how I-11 will be routed through Las Vegas, but three options have been identified:
- Following U.S. 93/95 I-515 to I-215 westbound on the southeast side of Las Vegas, and linking back to U.S. 95 in the northwest valley.
- Following U.S. 93/95 I-515 by its current routing through the spaghetti bowl and upgrading U.S. 95 to interstate standards as needed.
- New road through Lake Mead National Recreation Area on the eastside of Frenchman Mountain and connecting to the SR 215 beltway at I-15 on the north end of town. SR 215 would be upgraded to interstate standards and would become part of I-11.
Ticket Busters is Your Ticket Solution
With the coming changes to Las Vegas roads due to the construction of Project Neon and the I-11 project, if you should get a ticket on the roads of Clark County, call us to discuss your options. We can help, by negotiating your infraction with the courts. In most cases, we can negotiate the ticket to a non-moving violation, saving you a guilty verdict which can cause your insurance rates to increase. Whether speeding, DUI, or criminal charges, call us today to discuss your case at (702) 666-6666.
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