New Russell Road alignment to open early Wednesday near McCarran
Source: Clark County- McCarran International Airport
Jun 25, 2007 - 5:18:47 PM
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LAS VEGAS -- Traffic just east of McCarran International Airport will begin using Russell Road’s new alignment during the early morning hours of Wednesday, June 27.
Russell was realigned to the north to clear space for Terminal 3, a $1.8 billion airport expansion that will include 14 additional gates; ticket counters; baggage claim areas; security checkpoints; roadways and a multistory parking garage upon its scheduled completion in 2011. The front entrance of Terminal 3 will be located where Russell currently intersects with Maryland Parkway.
Traffic on the new Russell Road should flow smoothly despite the change. However, the new alignment will create detours along several side streets that could slow traffic in those areas.
Signs will guide drivers headed to McCarran’s Economy parking lot, which will remain accessible to southbound and northbound traffic exiting off of Paradise Road. The parking lot will be accessed by a portion of the existing Russell, which will dead-end at the Economy lot’s main entrance near Kelly Lane.
For approximately 60 days, drivers headed to and from the McCarran Day Care Center, University Medical Center McCarran Quick Care or Gate Gourmet must use a detour that originates on Surrey Street south of Russell. Drivers in this area should allocate extra time and caution due to the presence of large trucks and service vehicles that enter and leave McCarran through a nearby secured gate.
Russell’s new alignment will include two travel lanes for both eastbound and westbound traffic, with stop lights for egress and ingress at Paradise, Maryland Parkway and Spencer Street. Drivers who use the airport connector tunnel should exercise caution when approaching a new stoplight at Russell and Paradise.
Russell’s current alignment primarily follows a straight east-to-west path between Paradise and Eastern Avenue. The new route, which curves slightly near Surrey before resuming an east-west alignment parallel to Russell’s existing path, connects Russell and Paradise approximately one-quarter mile north of those streets’ current intersection. (Map attached)
Construction of the realigned Russell began in March 2006. The $61.6 million project was financed using general airport revenue bonds that will be repaid using airport revenue.
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