Rainbow Blvd Freeway
US 95 to I-15

The Plan: Make Rainbow Boulevard a freeway from US 95 at the Rainbow Curve to I-15 south of Las Vegas.

The Current Facility: Rainbow Blvd. is a six lane surface arterial from US 95 to Tropicana Avenue, is a two lane arterial being upgraded to a four lane arterial from Tropicana to County Road 215, and is a two lane rural quality arterial from County 215 to NVSR 160.

Reasoning for upgrade:

• The west Las Vegas Valley needs another north-south controlled-access highway. A superarterial won't cut it due to its nature(a road with only two places to get on or off-the ends.)
• This would provide the northwest valley another route to the south Strip(via 215), and would connect a freeway to Pahrump to the Las Vegas freeway system.
• The southern portion (NVSR 160 to I-15) would be a more direct way onto the 215 beltway for through traffic going from California to points north and east(Salt Lake, Denver, etc). Heavy growth can be expected along the southern portion because those are slated to be Southern Nevada Public Lands Management Act lands.
• The problem with the 215-95 portion is that massive amounts of ROW would be required to create frontage roads so that businesses along the corridor could survive.

Likelihood by 2020: Nick Mojave says 20%. Jim Poston says 40%.

Exits at: US 95, Charleston Blvd, Sahara Avenue, Desert Inn Superarterial, Flamingo Road, Tropicana Avenue, Russell Road, Sunset Road(half interchange), County(by then Interstate) 215, Warm Springs Road, Windmill Lane, Pebble Road, NVSR 160, Arden, South Valley, Bird Springs Mts, I-15.

Comments:

I agree this is a very important corridor, maybe from I-215 to I-15, but not
from the Rainbow curve due to excessive costs involved. This is a perfect
second corridor to the Ivanpah Valley Airport.

-Warren Sturgill