NDOT studies major I-15 upgrades from Sloan to California state line

The Nevada Department of Transportation is conducting a feasibility study to evaluate potential upgrades to Interstate 15 between Sloan and the Nevada‑California state line. The study aims to gauge public sentiment regarding anticipated growth and necessary roadway improvements to accommodate future expansion. According to NDOT projections, employment in Nevada is expected to rise by 44 percent, increasing from approximately 1.3 million jobs in 2023 to nearly 1.9 million by 2050. To support this expansion, Southern Nevada may require an additional 5,857 acres of industrial land over the same period. A related land‑use study involving Clark County and the city of Henderson identifies 31,000 acres where residential, commercial and industrial development could occur between 2030 and 2050, primarily east of I‑15 with a minor western extension. Progress on this development depends on the passage of the Southern Nevada Economic Development and Conservation Act, also known as the Clark County Land Bill, which Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D‑NV) reintroduced in March; no further action has been taken on the measure since. The Southern Nevada Supplemental Airport, slated to open in 2037, is intended to relieve congestion at Harry Reid International Airport. Roughly 17,000 acres adjacent to the proposed airport are earmarked for commercial and industrial use. Presently, I‑15 features three lanes in each direction between Sloan and the state line, with two interchanges—one at Jean and one at Primm—both constructed in 1958. The Primm interchange includes height restrictions. Crash data from 2018 to 2022 reveal a higher incidence of injury collisions on this segment compared with the state average, including 15 fatal crashes that resulted in 22 deaths. Concentrated crash locations were noted near the Jean and Primm interchanges. To address anticipated traffic demands, NDOT outlines a series of improvements slated for the next two decades: * Build a new interchange just north of Sloan at Via Nobila, situated between St. Rose Parkway and Sloan. * Reconstruct the existing Sloan interchange, renaming it Via Inspirada. * Upgrade the Primm interchange to satisfy current vertical‑clearance standards. * Construct a second interchange approximately two miles north of Primm to provide access to the planned Southern Nevada Supplemental Airport. * Develop the Brightline West high‑speed rail corridor linking Las Vegas and Rancho Cucamonga, California. The rail alignment will travel within the I‑15 median for about nine miles south of Sloan toward California, then shift east of the freeway to serve the supplemental airport before returning to the median roughly two miles from the California border. * Install two emergency‑vehicle crossings for the Brightline West system, incorporating bridge structures over I‑15, the rail alignment and restricted‑use ramps that connect to those bridges. Looking beyond the immediate corridor, NDOT may explore additional connections to nearby highways—such as U.S. Highway 95 to the east and State Route 160—to create redundancy in the event of crashes or closures. Any such linkages would likely face environmental constraints and would require coordination among multiple agencies and private developers. Funding for the proposed upgrades could involve a mix of mechanisms, including public‑private partnerships, tax‑increment financing, federal grants and other assistance programs.