Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) officials said the agency has completed a $33.8 million widening of Interstate 15 between Craig Road and Speedway Boulevard in North Las Vegas.
The effort involved expanding a five-mile-long stretch of highway from four to six travel lanes using existing right-of-way, plus the installation of new lighting, signage, and landscaping that features 14 weathered steel sculptures donated by artist Simi Dabah. The various totem-shaped artworks included in the project measure up to 21 feet tall and weigh up to 2,100 pounds, officials said.
“This project improves safety and mobility through the northern Interstate 15 corridor, greatly reducing travel times and congestion,” NDOT Director Rudy Malfabon said. “It also enhances traffic flows entering and exiting the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, which is especially crucial during NASCAR events and the Electric Daisy Carnival.”
Other work calls for drainage improvements, including pipe and concrete box culvert, as well as widening and seismic upgrades to four overpass structures at Range Road and the Union Pacific Railroad tracks that will extend their life by another 50 years.
NDOT said the site of the newly completed work currently sees 41,600 vehicles daily, but traffic is expected to increase 71 percent by 2033.
The project moved 385,000 cubic yards of earth, or enough dirt to fill 5,100 average sized swimming pools while construction additionally placed 166,500 tons of asphalt or enough blacktop to cover 33,300 driveways.