Information is readily available, 24 hours per day, seven days a week, on our website, via email InTheWorks@ClarkCountyNV.gov or during regular business hours (Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.), please phone us at (702) 455-6000. 

Driven by the tremendous growth experienced in this area during the last two decades, an ambitious road construction effort is underway in the Las Vegas Valley.  Clark County's population and tourism growth since the 1980s has far outpaced measures taken to increase roadway system capacity.  The current population in Clark County is more than 2 million residents in addition to millions of tourists. To ensure that our transportation network provides for the safe and efficient movement of people, goods and services, a number of road improvement projects have been “jump-started” or “fast-tracked” before gridlock and deteriorating air standards adversely affect our economic base and quality of life.  In addition to road improvements being completed by local agencies and the Nevada Department of Transportation, developers and utility companies also work on the roads and public right-of-ways to meet the needs of an ever-growing community. 

While years of explosive growth created a need to improve transportation services, sufficient revenues were initially not available to accommodate required improvements.  In 1990 and again in 2002, increased traffic congestion and air pollution prompted Clark County voters to approve a tax program (known as Question 10) that would generate revenues to pay for local roadway and public transportation improvements.  Subsequently, the state legislature passed these measures into state law and the County Commission adopted ordinances to enact the new taxes.

In accordance with the County’s No-Cut Ordinance, a newly constructed street cannot be torn up again for a period of five years unless an emergency exists. Nonetheless, during construction of a project, a street may be temporarily patched after underground work has been completed. Patches cover any opening that may have been made on the surface of the street, and allow cars to continue using the roadway. After all underground facilities are installed or repaired, temporary patches are removed, and the permanent paving is finally poured. As a result, it may appear that a street is being “ripped-up” more than once.  

Construction may be conducted at night in areas where daytime traffic volumes are high in an effort to minimize disruptions to the motoring public and surrounding businesses. Nevertheless, working at night can be disruptive to residential neighborhoods, makes obtaining specific types of materials difficult, and is more hazardous to work crews. In light of these circumstances, the decision to work at night must be carefully considered. As an alternative, work may be conducted during early morning hours, which is another “off-peak” travel time.

The need to upgrade local roadways is so great that working on a project-by-project basis would make it impossible to catch up with current traffic demands or get ahead of future growth. Clark County is committed to completing a supporting network of roadways in conjunction with the opening of major freeway, resort corridor and beltway projects.  

To the greatest extent possible, public and private sector organizations work together when planning and constructing road projects. However, coordination does not always mean that all work-related conflicts can be identified or avoided prior to the start of a project.  A variety of mechanisms (i.e., utility and project coordination meetings, partnering agreements, etc.) serve to minimize construction-related conflicts.  

Typically, roadwork is conducted between the hours of 7 a.m. and 3 p.m.   Sometimes, however, work may be taking place at night or may be underway in a location further down the road. Unforeseen problems such as underground leaks, utility conflicts, and bad weather can contribute to work delays.  

Private enterprises are not obligated to continue serving customers while under construction. Public entities, however, are committed to keeping existing roadways operable with traffic moving while repair or construction is underway.  For example, it’s not unusual for the county to accommodate 80,000-plus vehicle trips per day while construction activities are underway. This type of working condition impacts the time it takes to complete a project. In addition, many of the restrictions that apply to the use of public funds do not apply to privately controlled dollars. For instance, a developer is not required to award a project to the lowest bidder, may have a more generous construction budget, and has more liberty to include contractor incentives for completing work early.

For the most part, County road projects start on time. It is not uncommon, however, for completion dates to be extended when necessary work items are added during the course of construction. In addition, procedures are in place to charge contractors for damages for each day the project exceeds the authorized date of completion.  

A number of techniques are currently in place to expedite project completion and curtail driver delays and inconvenience.  These measures include marathon, non-stop work events that consolidate several weeks of work into a period of a few days; construction phasing which limits the boundaries of a work area to one-third widths of the roadway for a period not to exceed 10 calendar days; working during off-peak hours when traffic volumes are generally the lightest; and, whenever possible, keeping as many travel lanes open during construction as were available to drivers prior to the start of a project.