The Nevada DOT (NDOT) announced this week that an expanded high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) network will open to Las Vegas traffic on Monday, May 20, marking an important step in the completion of Project Neon, the largest public works project in state history.
As a result of the opening, the Las Vegas Valley will have more than 20 miles of continuous HOV lanes with direct access between I-15 and U.S. 95 and into downtown via the Neon Gateway interchange, just south of Charleston.
With this new connectivity and access, the HOV lanes will be operational 24 hours per day, 7 days per week with specific points for entry and exit—including the current HOV lanes on U.S. 95.
The NDOT rules for the extended HOV lanes allow for vehicles with two or more people, Regional Transportation Commission (RTC) of Southern Nevada buses, motorcycles, and emergency vehicles to use the HOV network.
NDOT has touted benefits of the new system that include better connectivity, improved air quality, system efficiency, reduced fuel and vehicle costs, less congestion, and faster commutes.
Other major improvements in the Las Vegas area to come from Project Neon include widening 3.7 miles of I-15 between Sahara Avenue and the infamous Spaghetti Bowl Interchange in downtown Las Vegas, in addition to improving Martin Luther King Boulevard, which runs parallel to I-15. All work on Project Neon is expected to be complete by summer 2019.
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Source: Nevada DOT
