I-11 project making progress – Story | LasVegasNow | KLAS-TV – KLAS-TV

BOULDER CITY, Nev. - Progress is being made on the Boulder City bypass which is the first phase of the I-11 project linking LasVegas and Phoenix.

8 News NOW got a ride along for the first 15 miles of the new interstate.

Those first 15 miles alone are expected shave 30 minutes off the time it takes to drive from the Hoover Dam bypass bridge to Henderson.

That's because the interstate will go around Boulder City. That means no stoplights and no backups which as you know, can get bad on weekends.

Along one portion of the road, they had to drill and blast their way through part of the El Dorado mountain.

Near the lake, they are building a scenic overlook with kiosks, where motorists can pull over and read about the area. Along a different portion, there is artwork that illustrates the history of Boulder City.

"On the north side of the wall, we show the 31ers, the migration of people to Boulder City to construct HooverDam, and as you progress south along the wall, then it shows the construction of HooverDam by showing a high scaler repelling off the rocks in the canyon and the top of HooverDam," said Ryan Wheeler, NDOT.

Through the mountains they are trying to preserve the native environment as best they can - for example instead of blasting or removing large rocks, they are leaving them alone.

They are even building a sheep crossing, so native sheep and other animals can safely cross the interstate.

Both phases of the project are on schedule. You can expect drive the entire length of the Boulder City bypass about a year from now in June of 2018.

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I-11 project making progress - Story | LasVegasNow | KLAS-TV - KLAS-TV