Question of the Day - 10 June 2024

The pedestrian-bridge system will celebrate its 30th anniversary next year.

The first overpass on the Strip was completed in 1995, due to the high volume of pedestrian and vehicular traffic on the Strip, to increase pedestrian safety. And yes, the number of fatalities at the busy intersections were ample and growing. We couldn't find any specific statistics per intersection, but we remember accidents and fatalities reported regularly. 

The first bridges were installed at Tropicana Avenue, from MGM Grand to New York-New York to Excalibur to the Tropicana, in 1995.

In short order, the bridges at Flamingo were started and the one between Bally's (now Horseshoe) and the Barbary Coast (now Cromwell) was completed in 1997, with the others between Barbary Coast and Caesars and from Caesars to Bellagio, which debuted in 1998, opened on a staggered schedule up to 1999. 

The bridges at the Strip and Spring Mountain Rd. -- Treasure Island to Fashion Show Mall to Wynn to Venetian -- were completed in 2005.  

The bridges at Harmon Avenue, connecting the Cosmopolitan and Planet Hollywood and crossing Harmon Avenue on both the east and west (Cosmo to the Shops at Crystals) sides were completed in 2012. 

In December 2019, a single bridge between Park MGM and the Showcase Mall opened. More than 10,000 people cross the Strip on this bridge every day.

As for bridges to come, In 2021, the Las Vegas City Council gave the go-ahead to begin design work for adding pedestrian overpasses at Sahara Avenue. An average of 72,000 vehicles pass through the intersection daily. Construction was supposed to start in 2023, but after many delays, it's now slated for 2025. 

Finally, late last year, the Clark County Commission passed a resolution that will allow a partnership between the county and Resorts World to build a pedestrian bridge over the Strip, from the south end of the Resorts World property to Convention Center Drive. No timetable or budget was revealed, but with the approval, the project is moving forward, albeit slowly.

As for who pays for their construction, most have been financed as one of the conditions of the development agreement with the casino companies. The county pays for maintenance, especially when it comes to the elevators and escalators between the street and the bridges.