Christmas Miracle: I-15 Project To Be Completed Early

(Sean Whaley/Nevada News Bureau) – The Nevada Department of Transportation is delivering an early Christmas present to Las Vegas motorists on Thursday with substantial completion of the Interstate 15 design-build north project.

Ramps to and from I-15 at Lake Mead Boulevard will be opened to traffic.

The ramp openings will mark the opening of all significant traffic movements on the $240 million project that made improvements to the I-15 corridor from the I-15/US 95 “Spaghetti Bowl” interchanges to Craig Road in North Las Vegas.

The project’s purpose is to relieve congestion and improve traffic flow in the I-15 corridor in response to continued growth in the Las Vegas Valley.

The first design build project for NDOT, built by North Corridor Constructors, will still have some minor lane closures throughout the month of January as crews put final touches to the project.

The project originally scheduled for completion in the fall of 2010 was completed 10 months early.

“Much of the credit for the early completion goes to the motorists who drive I-15 regularly,” said Mary Martini, NDOT’s District 1 District Engineer. “Those who found personal alternate routes to avoid the congestion made our construction efforts more productive, allowing the project to be completed well ahead of schedule.”