CLARK COUNTY, NEV. – The Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) this week awarded a $10.8 million construction contract to Las Vegas Paving Corp. to mill-and-pave over 16 miles of southbound Interstate 15 from Primm to just north of Jean in Clark County, plus install a weigh-in-motion system at milepost 8, and undertake a full roadway rehabilitation of less than a half-mile of State Route 161 (Goodsprings Road) underneath the Jean interchange between mileposts 6.90 and 7.34.

The project will place about 100,000 tons of total asphalt or enough blacktop to pave more than 6,200 average-sized driveways. Additionally, the Jean interchange will undergo pavement and bridge repairs as well as drainage improvements that will help reduce future maintenance efforts. Plans also call for erecting almost 2 miles of new guardrail, plus tortoise fencing repairs, frontage road upgrades, new signage, and Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) enhancements.

Interstate 15 is the main artery serving southern Nevada’s tourist economy, acting as the prime travel corridor for millions of southern California visitors annually. In fact, the stretch of impacted interstate averages 60,900 vehicles daily pre-pandemic, with heavy truck travel accounting for 10 percent of total traffic. The project is tentatively scheduled to start by early May with anticipated completion by year’s end. At least two lanes of Interstate 15 traffic will remain open throughout the duration of the 100-working-day job.

Motorists should use caution while travelling through the work zone, heed construction signage, and take alternate detour routes, if possible. NDOT works with Waze to inform the public about planned highway restrictions, but unscheduled construction changes, closures and restrictions are possible due to weather or other factors. For the latest state highway conditions, visit nvroads.com or call 511 before driving.

A northwest aerial view of the Interstate 15 and State Route 161 interchange in Jean.