First New Strip Intersection in 60 Years Moves Toward Development at Russell Road
State lawmakers say they will back funding to expedite a new intersection at Russell Road and Las Vegas Boulevard and a bypass road to Tropicana Avenue, the first new Strip intersection in 60 years.
The first new intersection on the Las Vegas Strip in 60 years is moving toward development at Russell Road and Las Vegas Boulevard. State Senator Fabian Donate and Assemblymember Cecelia Gonzalez announced on Oct. 20 that they will back state funding commitments in the upcoming legislative session to expedite road and infrastructure work on the Strip, according to the announcement. Chetak Development, which is proposing the Diamond Arena, is facilitating development of the intersection and the bypass road.
The intersection would be the first major exit from Interstate 15 to the Strip for northbound traffic arriving from California, and the entrance to a new backside bypass road running from the I-15 and Russell Road exit to Tropicana Avenue. Northbound I-15 traffic would use the existing Russell Road off-ramp to reach a new four-lane road connecting to Haven Street, then Koval Lane, and on to Tropicana Avenue, the announcement said. The bypass road's Strip entrance sits on undeveloped property north of the Little Church of the West wedding chapel and would not impact that business.
The Tropicana intersection has been cited as one of the busiest street intersections in the world, with daily traffic volumes approaching 100,000 vehicles, and NDOT informally estimates the new intersection and bypass road would decrease traffic on Tropicana Avenue at Las Vegas Boulevard by an estimated 22 percent, according to the announcement. Both the intersection and the bypass road are in Senate District 10 and Assembly District 16.
