“There was no waiting for cast-in-place concrete to cure, and as soon as our precast culverts were in place, cranes and other equipment could operate from on top them if needed. This minimized traffic closures and kept the project moving.”
Project NEON expanded the High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) network more than 20 miles, added new north-south surface street connections reduced congestion, and accommodated regional economic development by improving access into downtown Las Vegas and Symphony Park as well as the medical and arts districts. While Project Neon was expected to be completed in four years, the design-build approach enabled each phase to be completed early and the entire project was completed within three years, despite the complexity of building new roadway and bridge structures while maintaining traffic and reducing ramp closures. Besides reducing congestion and facilitating vehicle movement, Project Neon is also intended to improve air quality by creating less idle time and vehicle exhaust. The $1 billion project is expected to reduce travel delays by 28 percent, which will yield $110 million in annual savings through increased productivity.
“It’s been a tremendous improvement on moving traffic flows through the center core of our community,” said Cara Clarke, spokeswoman for the Las Vegas Metro Chamber of Commerce. “It’s the major freight route going through our communities. It’s also a big tourism route, as well as just the day-to-day business traffic.” Project NEON earned Roads & Bridges magazine Top Road Construction Project in 2019 and the American Concrete Pipe Association 2019 Project Achievement Award.