Travelers and drivers near Harry Reid International Airport should expect slowdowns starting tomorrow as construction begins on a key intersection. The project aims to improve traffic flow but will cause temporary disruptions. Rideshare drivers, including Virginia Sanchez, worry about lost income. "I'm going to avoid the airport as much as possible because the construction is a waste of time," Sanchez told 8 News Now. Multiple sources, including 8 News Now and News3LV, have confirmed the upcoming work.
The lane reductions which are scheduled to begin at 8 p.m. tomorrow and expected to conclude by 5 p.m. on Friday, will pinch southbound and northbound traffic on Paradise Road to a single lane at Russell Road, a squeeze that drivers like Linda Alexander anticipate will spawn considerable congestion "If it's going to one lane, just imagine a hundred drivers pulling out of here to go get a ride," Alexander said, her prediction of a snarl-up reflecting not only her experience but a concern for livelihood, particularly given the coincidental timing with a local convention and the Valentine’s Day rush.
Certain turns will also be prohibited during the construction phase, with no left turns from southbound Paradise onto Russell and none from westbound Russell onto Paradise, a measure intended to manage traffic but one that's likely to reroute frustrations. Airport officials, as indicated in both reports, have made it plain: unless Harry Reid International is on your itinerary, it's best to steer clear.
Despite grumbles from the road, there are voices like David Haboush's that rise in support of the project reminding us that growing pains are often the toll of progress, "It’s 100% going to make a big difference in the long run and needs to be done. There’s a lot of growth in this city," Haboush added, his statement suggesting a look beyond the immediate to a horizon of improved infrastructure even as we navigate the bedlam of construction and the ever-looping delays, our progress marked by each red blink of a tail light.
