That dreaded red light at Beale Street, where Las Vegas-to-Phoenix traffic grinds to a halt west of Kingman, is finally getting a serious work-around. The Arizona Department of Transportation is in the middle of building a new freeway-to-freeway interchange that will let drivers bypass the stoplight entirely.
Construction kicked off in July 2024 and covers roughly one mile of new highway, along with new bridges, tunnels and sound walls. Work is expected to continue into 2027, when the interchange is set to open along with about six miles of widened or newly built roadway, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation.
The roughly $106.5 million project is designed to create a free-flowing connector between US 93 and I-40 while still keeping access to downtown Kingman via Beale Street. Arizona Department of Transportation materials say the work includes five new bridges, rehabilitation of several existing bridges, two miles of sound walls and a mile-long connector that will tie into US 93 northwest of the current Beale Street interchange.
The agency is warning drivers to brace for lane restrictions, occasional blasting and detours as crews cut into the bluff and carve out the new alignment.
ADOT spokesperson Garin Groff told FOX5 Las Vegas that the new ramps "will improve the flow for everybody by not having to stop at that light," describing crews literally slicing through rock to make the connector fit. FOX5 reports the agency expects the bypass to be complete by April 2027, and ADOT documents also list 2027 as the target year.
Once the project opens, through traffic will be able to stay on high-speed ramps around Kingman, while anyone looking for gas, food or a leg stretch can still peel off to Beale Street for local services.
The Kingman interchange is part of a long-running push to modernize US 93 - a major freight and tourist corridor - into a safer four-lane route between Wickenburg and the Hoover Dam bypass. As the Las Vegas Review-Journal has reported, transportation planners have had a system-to-system connection at Kingman on their wish list for years as part of broader regional mobility plans. For a look back at earlier benchmarks, see Hoodline’s 25% milestone coverage.
What drivers should expect during construction
For now, drivers should expect some short-term pain in exchange for long-term relief. Overnight lane restrictions on I-40 and US 93, brief detours and periodic blasting are on the menu while crews place bridge girders and chip through rock for the new ramps.
An ADOT project bulletin notes that the interchange hit the 50% completion mark in September 2025 and that work remains on track for a 2027 opening. Before heading out, motorists can check the state’s traffic site AZ511 for real-time camera views and lane-closure updates.
The new connector will not cut off Beale Street. ADOT says the current interchange will stay in place for local traffic, while through drivers should finally see fewer stop-and-go backups once the new ramps open. With holiday travel spikes and continued growth in both the Phoenix and Las Vegas metro areas, planners say the Kingman interchange should help trim delays and reduce the weaving that has long made this stretch of highway a headache. This story will be updated as ADOT releases new photos and schedule details.
