Dropicana 2.0: Road Closures Coming To I-15, Tropicana
Between the F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix road closures, the Super Bowl road closures, and the myriad of cones throughout the valley, it is easy to forget. The Nevada Department of Transportation is in the middle of a major infrastructure project at Interstate 15 and Tropicana Avenue. You may remember Dropicana, when they took down the flyover ramp from Interstate 15 southbound to Tropicana eastbound. Well, get ready… Dropicana 2.0 is coming in hot.
What Is Las Vegas Dealing With On Dropicana 2.0?
The original “Dropicana” had the entirety of Interstate 15 and Tropicana above it shut down. The highway was shut down for three days. Tropicana? For eight days. Yikes.
This time around, NDOT is chopping away the southern portion of the Tropicana bridge. There’ll be a swath of different closures to keep an eye on. According to i15Trop.com, here’s the biggest ones to keep an eye out for:
- January 27th – January 31st: Tropicana bridge shuts down between Dean Martin Drive and New York New York. This includes all of the on and off ramps.
- February 1st at 9 a.m.: Tropicana re-opens, but weirdly. You can’t take a left turn in either direction. The on-ramp to Interstate 15 will be reopened, as well the off-ramp to Tropicana WB.
- February 14th – February 20th: Remember when they shut down the bridge and the ramps? They do it again. The road will reopen but the on-ramp to Interstate 15 NB and off-ramp to Tropicana from Interstate 15 NB will be closed through the Fall. Yes, through the Fall.
- February 16th at 9 a.m.- February 19th at 5 a.m.: Interstate 15 will be closed in both directions between Flamingo and Russell. This includes the ramps from the 215 to Interstate 15 NB. The remaining old portion of the Tropicana bridge is coming down during this closure.
What Is This I-15/Tropicana Project Doing, Anyways?
Since the summer of 2022, NDOT has been busily working to modernize the intersection of Interstate 15 and Tropicana Avenue. From widening Tropicana Avenue to more lanes to go from Tropicana to the interstate, there are some definite positives. Plus, the ramp to Arena Drive is planned to be widened (which will help for events you go to at T-Mobile Arena).
Also a part of the project, the new half-interchange that is being built along the south side of Harmon Avenue. It’s a bit weird, with only an off-ramp to Harmon going northbound, and Harmon drivers only being able to head southbound on Interstate 15. Thankfully, that is nearly done, and you’ll be able to drive on it this Friday, January 26th. Getting to CityCenter just got that much easier.
Obviously, there is a whole bunch more traffic headed to this intersection, mostly thanks to sports. The Knights, the Raiders, and soon, the A’s, will all pound this intersection. Here’s hoping the pain we experience today will make things easier tomorrow.
Nevada Ranks In Bottom 10 For Worst States To Drive In
7) Nevada
Total Score: 49.91
Cost of ownership and maintenance: 48
Traffic and infrastructure: 15
Safety: 9
Access to vehicles and maintenance: 37
6) Missouri
Total Score: 48.72
Cost of ownership and maintenance: 28
Traffic and infrastructure: 29
Safety: 50
Access to vehicles and maintenance: 15
5) Maryland
Total Score: 48.09
Cost of ownership and maintenance: 37
Traffic and infrastructure: 50
Safety: 19
Access to vehicles and maintenance: 22
4) Rhode Island
Total Score: 47.84
Cost of ownership and maintenance: 45
Traffic and infrastructure: 46
Safety: 5
Access to vehicles and maintenance: 45
