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| Tropicana Avenue Traffic Control Expected Through September |
| Monday, March 30, 2009 |
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The Clark County Department of Aviation is installing new underground utility lines beneath Tropicana Avenue that will increase connectivity between McCarran International and the nearby NV Energy substations that bring power to the nation’s seventh-busiest airport.
These necessary infrastructure improvements will require traffic control measures that could cause delays in the area through September. Sites to be affected are located within a 1.6-mile stretch of Tropicana Avenue that begins east of Interstate 15 (behind the New York-New York hotel-casino) and ends near the intersection of Tropicana Avenue and Paradise Road.
Eastbound and westbound lane restrictions and other traffic control measures will be implemented at various points as work progresses near Tropicana Avenue's center median. A traffic plan approved by the Nevada Department of Transportation requires that at least two lanes remain open in each direction throughout the duration of the project. Work crews must also maintain access for emergency vehicles, pedestrians, and nearby businesses. Roadside alerts signage will help direct drivers.
Traffic control measures will be in place around the clock so that workers can continuously dig trenches, install conduit, backfill the trenches, and expeditiously repair disrupted roadways. When possible, drivers are encouraged to use an alternate route between McCarran and Las Vegas Boulevard South (the Strip) to avoid any delays related to this project.
The Tropicana utility installation is directly related to the ongoing development of McCarran’s Terminal 3, which is scheduled to open in mid-2012. After considering several alternatives, the airport was directed to build a new permanent connection linking McCarran with a new NV Energy substation located west of the Strip along Frank Sinatra Drive. The airport is now powered by other substations that no longer have available capacity to service McCarran’s future needs.
Terminal 3 is a $2.4 billion project funded using airport revenue, not local tax dollars. When completed, T3 will bolster the local economy by enabling McCarran to reach its ultimate sustainable capacity of 53 million arriving and departing passengers per year.
Additionally, the Tropicana utility work will support at least 50 jobs for employees of the Harber Co. and its subcontractors through the course of the project.
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