Temporary F1 bridge on Flamingo being removed before Super Bowl

LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) - A temporary bridge installed for the Las Vegas Grand Prix will now be removed before Super Bowl activities begin in Las Vegas.

According to a media release, the intersection of Flamingo Road and Koval Lane will experience a traffic closure in all directions beginning Sunday, January 21 at 9:00 p.m. through Thursday, February 1 at 9:00 p.m. for the removal of the temporary vehicular bridge. Clark County officials previously stated that the bridge would be taken down after the Super Bowl.

Sidewalks will remain open and access to surrounding businesses will be maintained throughout the closure. There will be no traffic through the intersection on Flamingo Road eastbound and westbound between Linq Lane and Howard Hughes Parkway, and Koval Lane northbound and southbound between Rochelle Avenue and Albert Avenue during the removal.

Some Las Vegas business owners are thrilled about the decision.

“I’m overjoyed” said Wade Bohn, owner of Jay’s Market, a location that has been significantly negatively impacted by the bridge. “I really felt like I might lose my business, but removing this bridge will allow us to get back to normal customer flow during big events like the Super Bowl.”

Randy Markin, owner of Stage Door and Battista’s restaurant, said. “This is the positive outcome we hoped for and was our intention from the beginning. I am hopeful our regular Stagedoor customers will come back and celebrate the Super Bowl with us, and we will make sure tourists know Battista’s is now easy to get to.”

Through collaborative efforts, the business owners and consultant Lisa Mayo-DeRiso organized public comments, a media campaign, lobbied local authorities, and engaged in constructive dialogues to highlight the economic repercussions of the bridge’s presence. The coordinated advocacy brought attention to the urgency of the situation, leading to a comprehensive review of the bridge’s impact on traffic and local businesses.

“I give full credit for this victory for the business owners to the county commissioners that worked with us and listened to the desperate situation of the business owners,” said Lisa Mayo DeRiso, President and CEO Mayo & Associates. “I want to thank Commissioners Gibson, Naft and Segerblom for taking our calls and meeting with us. When our government listens and acts in a way that solves a problem by benefiting many and not just a few, it is a good day.”

On Wednesday, Erik Pappa, Director of Public Communications for Clark County, also commented on the bridge closure.

“We are allowing the bridge at Flamingo and Koval to come down because it was always intended to be temporary,” Pappa said. “It was kept in place so our Public Works Department could gather traffic data at the intersection with the temporary bridge in place.  This data will be used in a study to evaluate the traffic impacts along the streets in the area with and without a bridge at the intersection.”

The bridge dismantling will reportedly be complete ahead of all upcoming Super Bowl activities, and the intersection of Flamingo Road and Koval Lane will be restored by 9:00 p.m. on Thursday, February 1.

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