emalloy

I saw this alert today:

WASHINGTON COUNTY, UTAH / ARIZONA / NEVADA
Due to flooding in Nevada, southbound I-15 is closed at Mesquite, Nevada. The closure is expected to last 3-4 days. Motorists traveling to Las Vegas, should use SR-56 in Cedar City to US-93. Expect major delays using this route. Plan ahead and purchase extra gas as services in the area are limited. Travelers to Phoenix, Arizona should use SR-20 from I-15 to US-89.

dwooddon

To amplify, I-15 is closed in both directions between mile marker 64 (just north of Las Vegas) and mile marker 112 (just south of Mesquite). Heavy rains from the fringes of a pacific hurricane caused severe flooding in the Moapa/Overton area that destroyed a section of I-15 longer than a mile.

The 4 day estimate is for minimal repairs only. NDOT is trying to have one lane in each direction open by then but there will still be major delays. They are estimating a minimum of two months to have the freeway back to normal.

Watch this thread and I will try to keep you up to date on this situation.

dwooddon

UPDATE: I-15 S/B has now been partially reopened for passenger cars only (no trucks, RVs, or towed vehicles). It is now open S/B to exit 93. From there, you would go east through Logandale and Overton, south on the Lake Mead's Northshore Road, and then back to I-15 through the Valley of Fire or continue south on Northshore Road to Lake Mead Blvd in Las Vegas.

This will add considerable time to the normal trip but is a much better alternative than having to take US-93 up through Utah.

MichelleY

I saw the video of this on the news last night. Pretty scary and unbelievable!

dwooddon

UPDATE #2: The detour I wrote about in my last update was opened yesterday for both north and south traffic and they have now allowed not only passenger cars to use it but also RV's and towed vehicles. Commercial trucks must still use the much longer detour through Utah and central Nevada.

I drove it S/B yesterday and N/B today. It adds about 30 miles and an hour to the trip if everything goes well. However, It is almost entirely single-lane in each direction. Because it is hilly territory. There are very few safe and legal places to pass slower traffic. Even in the places it is safe or legal, because of the heavy traffic for the detour, it is almost never possible to pass due to on-coming traffic.

So, you are dependent on not getting behind a U-Haul or jalopy trying to climb a grade, disabled vehicles in the traffic lane, accidents; or sight-seeing drivers who do 5-15 mph under the speed limit because the country is so beautiful. I managed to hit 3 of those 4 conditions today and it took me almost 2 hours longer than normal to get home.

If NDOT has not changed their plans in the last few hours, they intend to reopen the freeway its entire length tomorrow in both directions but the damaged areas will still only be one lane in each direction and that will last for 2-3 months. The last time I heard, they had not decided whether to allow commercial trucks to use the reopened stretch or force them to continue to use the long detour.

powers118

I will be out sept 29. Going from Las Vegas to Springdale/zion. I just did a mapquest and they are showing the road closure and a difference of 30 some miles and an hr an 15 minutes difference! Wow! Sorry for you who have to drive this on a normal basis.

How can I incorporate my drive into a pleasant drive? Stop along the way? (Not get in the way of daily drivers). Stop in valley of fire? I have no commitments this day other than hotel at night

Thanks for your help

dwooddon

There are two routes you can choose which I briefly described in my second post.

The shortest is through the Valley of Fire State Park. The state is waiving the entry fee while the detour is in place so its a chance to visit free. VOF is a spectacular Red Rock park with lots of hiking opportunities. There are many pull-offs and parking lots so you can see the vistas without impeding traffic. Caution: The park rangers are stringently enforcing the 35mph speed limit in the park.

The slightly longer route is to come out of the LV Valley on Lake Mead Blvd and go north on North Shore Road. This will have less traffic until you reach the VOF turnoff and the speed limits are higher, 45 and 55 mph in various parts. It is not as spectacular as VOF but in some ways, I like it better. Parts of it remind me of Monument Valley. North Shore Road is a little misleading as a name. You will see glimpses of Lake Mead occasionally, especially at the south end, but for the most part, you will be a ridge away from the water and it won't be visible. Nevertheless, it is one of the prettier desert drives I know of.

dwooddon

FINAL UPDATE: The freeway has been reopened with one lane in each direction. Southbound, it is open to all traffic. Northbound, commercial trucks are still required to take the Valley of Fire detour because of a long grade that heavy trucks would struggle with and cause traffic bottlenecks.

They expect they will be able to open that stretch to trucks around Sept 22nd.