The north end of The Strip is getting a lot of attention these days. It’s home to The Strat, our Gateway Arch, the Sahara Hotel and Walgreens. Plus, the southwest corner lot of the intersection is home to big music festivals, including Day In Vegas, which attracted 150,000 guests over a three-day period. There’s no doubt more and more people are making their way north on The Strip. While the continued growth of this area is exciting, more needs to be done to make sure it’s safe for motorists and pedestrians.
According to data, the intersection of Sahara Avenue and Las Vegas Boulevard is one of the busiest intersections in Las Vegas. This intersection routinely sees 70,000-85,000 vehicles per day, along with thousands of pedestrians. Between 2009 and 2018 there were 595 crashes that resulted in 326 injuries and two fatalities.
Now is the time to fix this area.
In an effort to meet growing demands, we have teamed up with Clark County and the Southern Nevada Regional Transportation Commission (RTC) to add a pedestrian bridge to lessen congestion. It is a project that was identified by the RTC and the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority in the Transportation Investment Business Plan adopted by the RTC in 2016. This study specifically set funding aside to build the bridge.
This will not be your typical bridge. The proposed design calls for an iconic circular bridge that will give pedestrians easier access to all four corners of the intersection. As for the timeline, the different jurisdictions anticipate completing the design by the end of 2022, with bidding on the project in the first quarter of 2023. The anticipated completion date is set for late 2024. The approximate cost will vary, depending on supply at the time of the project. If the project were to start today, the approximate cost would be $40 million, but leaders are hopeful supply costs will come down in the next couple of years.
Yes, it will eventually mean more construction for the area, but the safety for all outweighs the frustration of more traffic cones and closures.
For a closer look at the project, check out this interview with the city’s Executive Director of Infrastructure Mike Janssen.