Interstate 15 (I-15) is a north-south highway that runs from the U.S.-Canadian border in Montana, to just a few miles from the U.S.-Mexican border in California. One of the major cities that I-15 passes through is Las Vegas, Nevada, where a section of I-15 in southern Las Vegas and its suburbs is undergoing a widening project by the Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) and general contractor Fisher Industries.
While the I-15 South Project is located south of Las Vegas from Sloan Road to north of Warm Springs Road, it will impact traffic both inside and outside the city.
The I-15 corridor is a critical route for drivers in Las Vegas and its suburbs. NDOT recently found that over 5,300 vehicles travel through the I-15 corridor during the 8 a.m. morning rush hour.
Las Vegas and its suburbs are growing rapidly, outpacing other metro areas across the country. The metro area was just below 2 million in 2011, and it reached 3 million in 2025, according to Macrotrends.
The significant growth rate shows no signs of slowing down and was the driving factor behind the current project. The project is a single phase in a large plan aimed at improving mobility and accessibility in the valley. This includes the Nevada cities of Las Vegas, Henderson, Paradise, Spring Valley, Sunrise Manor, Enterprise, Winchester, and Whitney.
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“The valley has been growing, especially the south side and crossing to the west side is challenging,” said Mauricio Cardenas, a Senior Project Manager with NDOT. Cardenas took over as Project Manager for the design portion of the project and coordinates with the construction team.
“There’s a mix of traffic on the I-15 corridor, including lots of commuters and heavy truck traffic traveling from California and Utah heading north,” he added.
To date, three projects have been completed in the recent past on the corridor, with more planned.
To accommodate the growing traffic, NDOT is widening I-15. Project elements include:
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- Widening I-15 from six to eight general-purpose lanes between Sloan Road and St. Rose Parkway
- Widening and restriping I-15 from six to 11 general-purpose lanes between St. Rose Parkway and Blue Diamond Road
Cardenas said that the team widened the freeway in both the northbound and southbound directions, adding one lane in each direction and allowing for potential lane additions in the future.
“We had some existing right of way, so we were able to expand the number of lanes easily,” he said.
This area is exceptionally crowded, as there are multiple new communities off Blue Diamond Road in Henderson, Nevada.
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The project will resurface bridges and pavement preservation at the Blue Diamond Interchange. Cardenas said that the team is grinding the pavement down 1 inch and open-grade paving the surface to improve rideability.
Near qualifying residential areas throughout the corridor, the team will construct six new sound walls.
The team is performing a significant portion of the project at night. While the contract permits the contractor to shut down one lane in each direction during the day, they are allowed to have more closures when traffic counts are lower.
“We need the wider footprint to bring in the machinery,” Cardenas said. “We also have trucks hauling asphalt and other materials coming to the site. With more lanes available to work in, we’re able to maneuver more easily and get our work done.”
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Unexpected conditions often lead to surprises during construction projects, particularly when it comes to underground work. The team has encountered this issue on the project.
“The construction team encountered unforeseen conditions during construction,” Cardenas said.
Some electrical and fiber optic lines were located in places other than indicated in the as-built drawings. Certain lines had to be moved, which required a change order. The contractor successfully relocated the lines to the designated locations.
Utility coordination was initially rocky, although the impact was minor and not uncommon for a complex infrastructure project of this nature.
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“Early in the project, we had to reconnect with the utility to ensure we were on the same page and meeting the required procedures,” Cardenas said. “Things have gone smoothly since the initial disconnect.”
Fisher Industries has partnered with NDOT on multiple occasions. The contracting company, established in 1952, is headquartered in North Dakota. However, two of their divisions — Fisher Grading & Excavation and Fisher Sand & Gravel — are based in Henderson, Nevada.
“They understand the department, are reputable, and can perform a large job like this one,” Cardenas said.
The team began work on the project in January 2024, with completion scheduled for December 2025. As of this writing, the project is 80 percent complete and remains on track for substantial completion as planned. Cardenas credits the entire team for staying on schedule.
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“The contractor has been on top of things. They come to us when they foresee an issue, and we work together to find a solution,” he said. “The subs and suppliers are also doing a great job keeping the job moving forward.”
The project has an $81 million construction budget. The federal government is covering 95 percent of the cost, and the state government is covering the remainder. According to NDOT’s website, funding sources include National Highway Performance Program, Surface Transportation Block and PROTECT Program grants, and state gas tax. Cardenas noted that the project is currently on budget, and he expects to complete it below budget.
“After the project went out for bid, another project arose that impacted this one,” he said. “We had to reduce the scope of the sound walls from 11 to six. As part of their work, the private company is expected to install the five sound walls descoped in our project along the same corridor, which reduced the need for NDOT to include them in this contract.”
The project Cardenas refers to is a high-speed line, known as Brightline West, which will travel between Las Vegas and Los Angeles, California. According to a press release from the U.S. Department of Transportation, the 218-mile system will be constructed around I-15, so it will go through part of the project area. There is also a plan to add a 200,000-square-foot maintenance facility in Sloan, Nevada.
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During an NDOT board meeting in March, it was revealed that Brightline West will operate partially in the median and partially on the east side of I-15. It will impact the interstate by crossing over and under multiple I-15 interchanges.
Overall, Cardenas said that the I-15 South Project has encountered no major issues and has progressed smoothly.
Las Vegas and its southern suburbs continue to grow. With the valley booming and more change on the way, the improvements to the I-15 corridor are coming at an ideal time. Upon completion of this project, it will help alleviate traffic congestion in the area and will accommodate expected future growth. The project will also facilitate traveling between eastern and western Las Vegas.
- Owner: Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT)
- General Contractor: Fisher Industries, Dickinson, North Dakota
- Designers: NDOT; Horrocks, Pleasant Grove, Utah; Lage Design, Henderson, Nevada
- Engineers: NDOT; ConstructNV, Las Vegas, Nevada; 4Leaf, Pleasanton, California; Mojave Construction Consulting, Las Vegas, Nevada
