"That's news to me," said a Clark County official with whom we spoke. Heck, we'd say the same thing, as we drive up and down the Strip all the time and haven't seen a hint of anything resembling a tollbooth. Resistance by motorists to paying for the privilege of rolling past CityCenter, Bellagio, and The Mirage would undoubtedly be loud and fierce.
A variety of toll roads have been proposed for Southern Nevada but none of them for the Strip. Gov. Jim Gibbons is keen on the concept of a privately built toll route that would act as a shortcut between the north and south halves of the 215 beltway. It would connect to US-95 near Ann Road, heading south, then take an eastward jog toward downtown Las Vegas, whereupon it would parallel I-15 to its intersection with the 215’s lower half.
That idea died in the 2009 Legislature. Another proposed toll road would divert traffic around Boulder City, which is expected to see a huge increase in Arizona-to-Las Vegas traffic when the new bridge over Hoover Dam finally opens. That project has gained even less traction than the Gibbons-proposed connector. The Strip, however, remains off-limits in the foreseeable future.
