Contract award: $305 million

Internal costs:
Engineering: $12,000,000
Right of Way acquisitions: $45,000,000
Construction engineering: $20,000,000

In 2020, NDOT received a $50 million grant for the Tropicana Interchange project from the U.S. Department of Transportation, with additional funding provided through federal and state sources.

The height of the Tropicana bridge, built in the 1960s, no longer meets the federal height requirements for commercial vehicles. As a part of this project, the bridge height will be raised. The bridge also needs to be lengthened to accommodate future widening of I-15. The new bridge will also increase capacity of the Tropicana interchange, reconfigure the northbound collector-distributor road’s entrance to I-15 and address the need for HOV access to I-15 separate from Tropicana Avenue.

No. Due to the location of the project, in a densely developed area with a small footprint, there is not enough space to construct additional flyovers.

The project is slated for full completion in late 2025. When finished, it will have taken approximately 3.5 years of construction. Please note, construction schedules are dynamic and can change due to factors such as weather, unforeseen site conditions, and coordination with ongoing events or third parties.

The removal of the traffic signal at Tropicana and Dean Martin Drive will significantly improve traffic flow along the corridor. Dean Martin Drive will be reconfigured to run underneath Tropicana Avenue, again enhancing traffic flow. An HOV half-interchange on the south side of Harmon Avenue will offer more options for motorists leaving the resort corridor and nearby venues. Additional improvements that will address congestion include expanding Tropicana Avenue from three lanes to four in each direction between Las Vegas Boulevard and Polaris Avenue, increasing the left-turning lanes from Tropicana Avenue to southbound I-15 from two lanes to three, expanding the collector-distributor entrance to northbound I-15 from one lane to two and increasing capacity on the slip ramp to Arena Drive by adding a new lane.

In November 2021, the NDOT Board of Directors awarded the Tropicana Interchange contract to Kiewit Infrastructure West Co.

The interchange opened in 1966. In the mid-1990s, NDOT widened the bridge to three lanes in each direction.

Work that remains in phases 3 and 4 include:

• Finish reconstruction of bridges over I-15, Frank Sinatra Drive, and Dean Martin Drive.
• Construction of the I-15 northbound off-ramp to Tropicana/Frank Sinatra.
• Completion of the I-15 southbound flyover ramp to Tropicana eastbound.
• Widening Tropicana on the south side.
• Construction of the new Joey Bishop roadway.
• Reconfiguration of the Tropicana and Dean Martin intersection.
• Sewer work, elevated sidewalk installation, painting, lighting, and aesthetics.

Impacts on mainline I-15 are expected to be lifted in April 2025. The timeline shifted due to unforeseen utility coordination challenges, as aligning schedules with multiple utility agencies proved complex. Additionally, major events such as Formula 1 and the Super Bowl required full-site shutdowns, further impacting the timeline.

The Tropicana on-ramp and flyover are expected to open in April 2025.

The reconfiguration of Dean Martin Drive is planned to begin in January 2025 and finish by February 2025. As the current schedule stands, traffic will be routed onto the new Joey Bishop roadway starting in early 2025 to maintain access.

Phase 5 involves widening Tropicana west of I-15, specifically between Polaris and Valley View. Work is scheduled to begin in February 2025 and continue through Fall 2025. There is a possibility that crews may start as early as January 2025.

No, the Tropicana bridge will not be complete prior to the start of Phase 5, however, once the Tropicana and Dean Martin intersection is reconfigured in February 2025, the bridge will be accessible without the diverging diamond interchange (DDI).

You can stay updated on the project via Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and sign up for emails ([email protected]). If you have questions regarding the project, you can call the project hotline at 702-876-TROP or stay updated using our app, i15trop, that is available free on the App Store and Google Play Store.