Interstate 15 is a crucial artery for each California and Las Vegas. Apart from commerce, it funnels that candy tourism cash into Las Vegas. Because the years have gone on, nonetheless, and increasingly folks go to Sin Metropolis, I-15 can grow to be a slog, particularly on main holidays. This previous Memorial Day weekend noticed a 12-mile-long visitors jam on the California/Nevada state line; it took some folks 9 or ten hours to get again house to Southern California. Points like this present simply how badly I-15 must be widened to deal with the visitors, absent mass transportation. California beforehand promised to try this, but, as Las Vegas’ Fox 5 studies, metropolis officers are nonetheless ready for California to pitch in for the interstate.
In December 2021, California Governor Gavin Newsom and Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak held a press convention to announce that California can be increasing a portion of I-15. With a $12 million price ticket, Newsom mentioned the venture can be completed in the summertime of 2022. However 2022 got here and went and there was no enlargement, at the very least not the best way it was alleged to be. Only a mile stretch of I-15 has been expanded.
“They should get their acts collectively,” Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman mentioned when referring to California officers. Goodman is conscious of the visitors points, but she’s additionally conscious of simply how essential tourism is for Vegas’ business. “Selfishly for us, it’s tourism. It’s the conference enterprise,” Goodman mentioned. She continued, “I’m able to go on the market with a shovel to indicate that we care about all of you from California, we would like you to have a good time.” However she hopes Californians take part with venting their frustrations about I-15 visitors to California officers. The enlargement has been a very long time coming. “It will likely be 1 / 4 of a century we’re screaming at California come on do one thing,” Goodman mentioned.
However California is performing like an individual avoiding a invoice collector. It took two months for Fox 5 to get a solution from the California Division of Transportation. The company lastly issued a press release:
Caltrans has opened a one-mile transition lane that permits motorists to merge easily from three to 2 lanes alongside southbound I-15 on the California-Nevada border. This one-mile transition lane has saved drivers touring from Las Vegas to Southern California a mean of 30-40 minutes on non-holiday weekends with little to no queuing across the border.
Plans to enhance visitors circumstances within the space embody the opening of a 3rd, southbound part-time lane for 5 miles from the state line to the California Division of Meals and Agricultural station. The timing of opening the lane continues to be being decided as Caltrans works with our federal companions and the Southern California Affiliation of Governments on the required regulatory approvals.