LAS VEGAS (KSNV) — Big changes could be coming to U.S. Interstate 15 (I-15) and nearby roads over the next 15 years as the Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) proposes a slate of improvements aimed at easing congestion and supporting growth in Southern Nevada. They are also asking for your comments.
NDOT’s plans include adding lanes on the north and south portions of I-15 between the state line and Exit 25. The proposal also calls for new interchanges at Primm and Sloan, along with additional truck parking at weight station checkpoints, among other changes. Off I-15, NDOT is also looking at alternate roads to the new airport property and improvements involving Highway 160 toward Pahrump.
Economist Gokce Soydemir, the Foster Farms Endowed Professor at Stanislaus State University, said the upgrades would be significant. “It would have a great impact. Infrastructure is a must,” Soydemir said. He added that current conditions show the need for expansion: “Sometimes it is bumper to bumper. It is not enough these days to have this existing freeway.”
Some drivers and visitors agreed that widening is needed.
“Oh, most definitely,” said Albert Cole, a Las Vegas resident, when asked whether lanes should be widened on each side…