Site Navigation Arizona Colorado Idaho Montana Nevada New Mexico Utah Wyoming     Interstate 515 This view of Interstate 515 and U.S. 93-95 south is taken from northbound Interstate 15 looking east. Downtown Las Vegas forms the backdrop of this photo as seen from the Spaghetti Bowl. Photo taken 03/29/08. Routing Interstate 515 is the Las Vegas Expressway that bisects Interstate 15 in downtown Las Vegas. Interstate 515 was known only as the U.S. 93-95 freeway until 1995, when the freeway was commissioned as an Interstate highway after the completion of the freeway extension around Henderson. U.S. 93-95 remain cosigned with Interstate 515 for its entire length. The section between Henderson and Las Vegas Boulevard parallels the route of former U.S. 466, which was decommissioned in the early 1970s. Interstate 515 ends with the freeway standards in southeastern Henderson, and U.S. 93-95 continue as a multi-lane divided highway to just outside of Boulder City. The two U.S. routes split in western Boulder City. U.S. 93 (and former U.S. 466) continues east to Hoover Dam and then southeast to Kingman, Arizona. U.S. 95 turns south toward Needles and Blythe in California. West of the Interstate 15 Spaghetti Bowl interchange, the U.S. 95 freeway continues west toward Summerlin, but the Interstate 515 designation ends at that tangle of ramps. Planned Improvements Spaghetti Bowl (Junction Interstate 15/Interstate 515/U.S. 93-95) reconstruction is completed. In October 1999, the Martin Luther King Blvd ramp was opened, four to five months before the Interstate 515 north to Interstate 15 south ramp will be open. By August 2000, construction was finished. Interstate 515 is currently involved in a Corridor Study by the Nevada DOT. A major construction project currently underway is the new connection between Interstate 515 and Interstate 215; this project was completed in May 2006 and is profiled at the I-515/Beltway Interchange Project home page. Future Aspirations Although Interstate 515 currently ends southeast of Henderson and northwest of Railroad Pass, it could be extended in two possible directions as a result of projects to upgrade both the U.S. 93 corridor to the southeast and the U.S. 95 corridor to the south. At this time, neither corridor is slated to become part of the Interstate Highway System, but the potential exists for an upgrade. Interstate 515 could also be extended north along the U.S. 95 freeway. Boulder City Bypass Nevada DOT plans to make U.S. 93 a freeway from the end of the freeway (and Interstate 515) at Boulder Highway into Arizona. This will include an interchange at the Railroad Pass Casino, rebuilding the U.S. 95-Laughlin interchange, and building a freeway bypass of Boulder City. The new Boulder City bypass would bypass the city to the south (Alternative D), leaving the existing U.S. 93 "bypass" (with its businesses and hotels) in its current configuration to the north. This new bypass would be a freeway and includes an interchange at Railroad Pass. Hoover Dam Bypass A principal component of the U.S. 93 project is the construction of the Hoover Dam Bypass, which is a steel arch, four-lane bridge that cross over the Colorado River and the Black Canyon to the south of the dam. After a preliminary study, the Sugarloaf Mountain alternative was selected as the route of this bridge. While the Sugarloaf Mountain alternative brought some opposition to this plan, other groups emerged to oppose other plans, such as construction of a freeway along the Nevada 163/Arizona 68 corridor through Laughlin and Bullhead City, construction of a bridge over Lake Mead north of the dam, or the option of building nothing and leaving traffic to cross the river via the dam. Initial design and construction of the Sugarloaf Mountain route began in 2003, and most of the actual bridge construction is scheduled between Spring 2004 and 2007. Completion of the bridge and approaches is expected in 2007. For more information, visit the Hoover Dam Bypass home page. U.S. 95 Expressway to Laughlin Meanwhile, studies are underway to expand U.S. 95 to four lanes south of Boulder City at least to Laughlin and possibly onward to California and Junction Interstate 40. There is no webpage currently available for this project. U.S. 95 Freeway Expansion West of Downtown Las Vegas Northwest of Interstate 15, the U.S. 95 corridor was widened over the course of several projects that will increase capacity between 2000 and 2007. It is possible, but unlikely at this time, that this corridor may be added to the Interstate Highway System. The upgrade projects are: Project 1A: Widen U.S. 95 from Washington Avenue to Cheyenne Avenue - completed between January 2000 and September 2001 Project 1B: Widen U.S. 95 from Cheyenne Avenue to Craig Road - completed between April 2000 and June 2002 Project 2A: Replace bridge structure at Torrey Pines Drive over U.S. 95. - completed between April 2000 and April 2002 Project 2B: Replace bridge structures on US 9.5. at Decatur Blvd and Valley View Blvd. - completed between April 2000 and Fall 2003 Projects 2C & 2D: Summerlin/Rainbow Interchange - began June 2001 and complete Fall 2005 Project 3A: Business U.S. 95/Nevada 599 Rancho Drive Storm Drain - began June 2001 and complete Spring 2004 Project 3: Widen U.S. 95 from Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. to just east of Valley View Blvd - began June 2001 and complete October 2006 Project 3B: Martin Luther King Boulevard to east of Valley View Boulevard Storm Drain and Soundwalls - began June 2001 and complete Fall 2004 Project 4: Widen U.S. 95 from east of Valley View Boulevard to west of Jones Boulevard - began July 2001 and complete Fall 2006 Project 4A: East of Valley View Boulevard to west of Jones Boulevard Storm Drains and Soundwalls - began July 2001 and complete November 2004 Project 5: Widen U.S. 95 from west of Jones Boulevard to Washington Avenue - began June 2001 and complete Fall 2006 These improvements are discussed at Nevada DOT's U.S. 95 Reconstruction in Las Vegas webpage. As current plans go, U.S. 95 would have four through lanes, one exit only lane, and one diamond lane in each direction from Rainbow to Interstate 15, and three through, one exit only, and one diamond from Rainbow to at least Craig Road and possibly all the way to Clark County Route 215/Las Vegas Beltway. Interstate 515 Highway Guides Interstate 515 Northbound Interstate 515 Southbound Scenes Pertaining to Interstate 515 Now traveling north on Las Vegas Boulevard (Nevada 604), this traffic signal and shield assembly are located at the left turn from Las Vegas Boulevard to Interstate 515 and U.S. 93-95 notrh. Note the mast arm for the traffic signal, which shows the freeway name as "US-95." Photo taken 11/12/00. Page Updated May 4, 2008.