LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — We are less than two months away from Super Bowl LVIII and while crews get ready for the big game, there will be some traffic closures.
The game will have a big imprint in and around the Las Vegas Strip and Allegiant Stadium. The first set of closures will be on Las Vegas Boulevard, starting on Jan. 3. Event organizers said that is so CBS Sports can begin work constructing their set in front of the Bellagio fountains.
"Beginning on Feb. 5 through Super Bowl Sunday, the Bellagio will serve as our broadcast location for various shows. We will have over 100 hours of programming beginning on Monday," said Patty Power, the Executive Vice President of CBS Sports. "We plan to load in on Jan. 3. Our set-up will continue through Feb. 3. Then we go into production through Super Bowl Sunday."
Powers laid out the following timeline for work near the Bellagio, which could affect traffic on Las Vegas Boulevard.
- From Jan. 3-4, two southbound lanes of Las Vegas Boulevard and one eastbound lane of Flamingo will be closed while crews install fences
- From Jan. 5-Feb. 2, the stage, platform, set, lighting, and television elements will be installed using heavy equipment along with cranes
- Feb. 3-4, there will be show rehearsals on all stages
- Feb. 5-11, live broadcasts and reporting begins from the Bellagio stages and platform
- Feb. 12-16, crews will start a full load-out of all stages and platforms. The sidewalk will be closed and pedestrian traffic will be re-routed
She said by the end of the day on Feb. 16, the load-out should be complete and the sidewalk and two lanes of Las Vegas Boulevard will reopen.
That's not the only traffic interruption that motorists can expect ahead of the Big Game. National Football League officials said there will be several closures near Allegiant Stadium, which are scheduled to start on Jan. 8. You can see the full list of road closures below:
- Jan. 8-Feb. 15 - Allegiant Stadium Way and Al Davis Way will be fully closed.
- Jan. 16-Feb. 2 - Dewey Drive and Polaris Avenue will be partially closed.
- Jan. 18-Feb. 7 - Dean Martin Drive will be partially closed.
- Jan. 27-Feb. 15 - Hacienda Avenue will be fully closed.
- Feb. 3 - Feb. 15 - Dewey Drive will be fully closed.
- Feb. 8-Feb. 15 - Dean Martin Drive will be fully closed.
- Feb. 10-Feb. 15 - Polaris Avenue will be fully closed.
- Feb. 10-Feb. 12 - Luxor Drive will be fully closed.
- Feb. 11 - There will be one-way northbound traffic on Dean Martin Drive.
- Feb. 11 - There will be one-way eastbound traffic on Ali Baba Lane.
NFL officials said they want to try to limit closures as much as possible. However, some closures can't be avoided due to security measures ahead of Super Bowl LVIII.
"We have protocols we have to follow due to our SEAR I [security] rating. As it relates to our stadium campus, our secured perimeter around the stadium is at 300 feet versus a 100-foot perimeter that you see around a regular-season Raiders game," said Katie Keenan, the NFL's Senior Director of Live Event Operations. "We expect a large portion of our fans to utilize the Hacienda Bridge into the stadium, upwards of 20,000 fans, so we're building our two largest entry points near the Hacienda Bridge."
The stadium campus will be locked down on Feb. 3 due to security protocols, according to Keenan.
For transportation options, Keenan said there is a "very, very experienced team" and partners that have worked together for two and a half years to create traffic plans.
"We understand this is going to be an impact to local businesses. We attended an information session and went through this with local businesses around the stadium with very limited pushback," Keenan said. "There will be lots of buses, lots of shuttles. We are looking at making game day a seamless experience for our guests and for the local community."
Keenan said they are planning to communicate their plans as much as possible so locals and fans know what to expect, in terms of events and closures. That includes posting it on the Super Bowl website, adding it to the NFL OnePass app, sending emails directly to fans, and sending push notifications and texts to fans. She added more information will be released in the coming weeks.
