Nevada officials gathered in Las Vegas on September 24 to cut the ribbon on the new Interstate 15/Tropicana interchange. The original I-15 Tropicana interchange was built in 1966, and today, the interchange sees over 60,000 vehicles per day.
The Nevada Department of Transporation’s I-15 Tropicana Interchange project reconstructed the Tropicana Avenue Bridge from three lanes to four lanes in each direction and added on- and off-ramps. The bridge was also raised to meet federal clearance standards and lengthened the bridge to accommodate future I-15 widening. Work on the project began in 2022.
Additionally, Dean Martin Drive’s arterial was realigned to flow under Tropicana Avenue, and a High Occupancy Vehicle half-interchange was built on the south side of Harmon Avenue to enhance traffic to and from the resort corridor.
Signal improvements on the interchange included installing retro-reflective black plates and advanced vehicle detector loops. Interstate 15 between Warm Springs and Flamingo Roads got Active Traffic Management signs and pavement rehabilitation, and wrong-way driver alert systems were installed at Tropicana and Harmon.
Ten-foot-wide sidewalks were also added in both directions on Tropicana Avenue.
The reconstruction project aims to improve traffic flow in and around the Tropicana interchange, improved travel time reliability on I-15 and Tropicana Avenue, enhance safety for drivers and pedestrians and improve air quality with free-flowing traffic.
The I-15 Tropicana Interchange project was sponsored by NDOT, the Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada and the Federal Highway Administration. The $305 million design-builder contract was awarded to Kiewit Infrastructure West Co. in November 2021.
