With the help of special guests, elected officials and the showgirls from Jubilee at Bally's Las Vegas, the Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada (RTC) launched a $40.3 million project to improve Flamingo Road. This heavily traveled east-west corridor is also the RTC Transit’s busiest residential route. The project will be completed in four segments and is scheduled to finish in the fall of 2016.
The roadway project will make improvements along Flamingo Road, between Boulder Highway and Grand Canyon Drive, and will include the addition of dedicated transit/bicycle lanes, installation of more than 100 new bus shelters, upgrades to traffic signals, enhanced median landscaping and improved pedestrian crossings along the 14-mile corridor.
Noting that Flamingo Road connects existing and planned commercial and residential development directly to the heart of the Resort Corridor and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), Clark County Commissioner and RTC Chairman Larry Brown, explained “This project is vital to our ability to move people, goods and services efficiently east-to-west through this busy area.”
From a transit perspective, the Flamingo route carries 12,000 riders daily and is the most utilized residential route in the RTC transit system. Flamingo Road connects to 15 RTC routes – 11 residential, three express routes (Strip &Downtown, Centennial and Boulder Highway) and the Deuce on the Strip.
“Thousands of residents and visitors travel Flamingo Road every day,” said Congresswoman Dina Titus, who represents the area. “This critical project is a great example of a federal and local partnership which will improve our infrastructure in Southern Nevada. We are not just talking about improving our infrastructure in Southern Nevada; we are doing something about it.”
In total, the project will cost $40.3 million, consisting of $8 million in FRI funding, $18 million from the Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT), $14.1 million from the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), and $200,000 in RTC funding.
“The Flamingo Road project will significantly improve transit connections throughout the Las Vegas valley, linking thousands of local residents to jobs in the city’s resort corridor and educational opportunities at the University of Nevada campus,” said FTA Acting Administrator Therese McMillan. “We’re pleased that RTC is taking a comprehensive approach to improve public transportation in this critical section of Nevada’s largest and growing city.”
“Improving Flamingo Road will benefit the many businesses and residential communities that call the road home,” said Congressman Cresent Hardy. “Revamping critical arterials like Flamingo Road will support continued economic development on a roadway that has seen extraordinary growth from its historic beginnings.”
Clark County Commissioner Chris Giunchigliani added, “I am especially grateful to see the emphasis on improving pedestrian safety and adding dedicated lanes for buses and bicyclists. This is one example of our commitment to making busy roadways safer in our communities.”
Las Vegas Paving is the prime contractor for the project, which will create 168 jobs through the $8 million in FRI dollars funding the project. Two of the three traffic lanes in each direction will remain open during construction. However, motorists are advised that traffic disruptions may occur and are encouraged to visit rtcsnv.com/flamingo for project information.
