I-15/Tropicana Interchange Design-Build Project

In November 2021, the Nevada Department of Transportation awarded Kiewit Infrastructure West Co. the design-build contract for a major upgrade at the I-15 and Tropicana Avenue interchange, one of the key gateways to the Las Vegas Strip and a vital link to some of the valley’s largest employment hubs.

The project, a joint effort project sponsored by NDOT, the Regional Transportation Commission Southern Nevada (RTC), and the FHWA, features the construction of a three-level, tight diamond interchange at Tropicana Avenue and a new flyover connecting southbound I-15 to eastbound Tropicana Avenue, all designed with minimal right-of-way impact.

Key elements of the I-15/Tropicana Interchange Design-Build Project include replacing and expanding the existing interchange structures to accommodate future I-15 widening and adding new through-lanes and turn-lanes on the Tropicana Avenue bridge, expanding it to four lanes in each direction. The existing flyover was replaced to ensure seamless connectivity while widening the bridge over I-15. Additionally, the project separated Dean Martin Drive’s through-movements from the Tropicana Avenue intersection by converting it to two, right-in/right-out intersections, allowing north-south traffic to pass under Tropicana Avenue without disrupting flow.

To minimize traffic impacts of the bridge demolition work, the project team completed the demolition during an eight-day shutdown window. During the shutdown, crews closed Tropicana Avenue and took down a portion of the flyover bridge during the first five days. They also shut down I-15 completely and demolished half of Tropicana over the I-15 bridge during the last three days, pictured in the photo above. The work involved an intense level of planning and effort to demolish half of the bridge structure, remove the steel bridge girders, and clean up the rubble in just eight days.

The strategic enhancements from this project will not only improve traffic flow, but also position the interchange for future growth and expansion, ensuring it meets the evolving needs of the Las Vegas Valley.

Joey Bishop Drive, pictured above, is a new roadway adjacent to Dean Martin Drive and runs underneath Tropicana Avenue. This new roadway enhances the flow of traffic and reduces congestion at the intersection of Dean Martin Drive and Tropicana Avenue. Dean Martin Drive, just north of the Tropicana Avenue intersection, is fully closed in both directions for the foreseeable future during the construction.