LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Ready or not, it's already Formula 1 week in Las Vegas!
As the valley prepares to host its second F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix in less than six days, you may be wondering what impacts you might face on your commute to the Resort Corridor this week.
Preparations are well underway at the main grandstands along Koval Lane, which has already been closed between Harmon Avenue and Flamingo Road for days and will remain that way through Thanksgiving.
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What is a Warm Track?
A majority of the course will be under what F1 calls a "Warm Track" on Monday and Tuesday — essentially that means the track will be open to traffic, with some added barriers and restrictions that will likely cause delays.
What is a Hot Track?
Things will start to get a little funky overnight Tuesday into early Wednesday morning, though, when work begins to turn the course into a "Hot Track," meaning the circuit will be fully closed.
Half an hour before the full track closure is in place, off-ramps from both directions of I-15 to eastbound Spring Mountain Road and eastbound Flamingo into the Resort Corridor will be closed.
Fifteen minutes after that, access points to different properties along and inside the circuit will start to close.
Then, it's time for the full closures of major roadways leading into the track, including Las Vegas Boulevard, Spring Mountain (which turns into Sands Avenue east of Las Vegas Bouelvard), Flamingo and Harmon. Once those closures are in place, the track is officially "hot."
Ex32 Hot Track Road Closures by christian.hudspeth on Scribd
Hot Track times
Hot Track times start early Wednesday morning from 2 a.m. to 6 a.m., then will resume at midnight through 5 a.m.
The circuit will fully close again from 5 p.m. Thursday through 2:30 a.m. Friday, and from 5 p.m. Friday through 2 a.m. Saturday.
Then, race day Saturday will have a hot track for about 12 hours, fully closed from 5 p.m. Saturday through 4 a.m. Sunday.
For a full list and more detailed information about the "Hot Track" schedule for race week, visit the Las Vegas Grand Prix's website by clicking here.
Planning ahead
You should do your best to limit going in and out of the Resort Corridor during these periods, but if you have to commute for work, make sure to plan.
During a "Hot Track," if you have to go in and out of the closures, you only have two options: the two temporary bridges at Flamingo and Koval, and Harmon and Audrie. With the whole system relying solely on these two points, you need to be prepared for significant delays.
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New this year, F1 has put together maps with ways in and out of the closures for many of the properties affected.
For example, if you have to get to work at the Venetian, F1 says you'll go west over the Flamingo Bridge, and turn north onto Linq Lane which takes you to the Venetian parking garage. You'll follow the same way out, south on Linq Lane, then east on Flamingo over the bridge.
How about for Planet Hollywood and the Miracle Mile Shops? Once again, you'll head west over the Flamingo bridge, turn left onto southbound Linq Lane and eventually into the Horseshoe Hotel's driveway. You'll be directed through and will eventually swing a right onto southbound Audrie Street and into the Planet Hollywood parking garage. When you leave, you'll head out of the garage and exit the closures south over the Audrie bridge.
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For a full list of detours with detailed directions and maps, and to find your particular property, click here.
For more information and details on the Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix, visit their website by clicking here.
