Interstate 515 - History

History

The freeway, which began construction in 1982, is a continuation of the Oran K. Gragson Freeway (named for the former Las Vegas mayor who advocated for the construction of the then Las Vegas Expressway) which ran primarily along the former West Fremont Street alignment between Las Vegas Boulevard and Rainbow Boulevard. The spur was completed southeast to Charleston Boulevard (SR 159) in 1984, to Tropicana Avenue (SR 593) by 1986, to Russell Road by 1988 and to Lake Mead Parkway (SR 564), at the time known as Lake Mead Drive (SR 146 west and SR 147 east), by 1990. By 1994, the entire freeway was completed to Boulder Highway, just south of Wagon Wheel Drive. Although the I-515 designation was first granted in 1990 from I-15 to Boulder Highway (at exit 70), the route was not signed consistently throughout until the freeway reached the Foothills grade separation north of Railroad Pass in 1994.

Prior to the completion of the freeway, US 93 and US 95 originally followed Fremont Street / Boulder Highway from downtown Las Vegas southeast through Henderson towards to Boulder City. Boulder Highway was signed as a business route of US 93/95 after the freeway was completed, but that designation has since been removed; it is now just State Route 582.

Despite being designated and signed for several years, most Las Vegas residents refer to the I-515 freeway as "US 95". This is due to the continuation of US 95 as a separate freeway west and north of I-15 (I-515 ends at I-15, while US 93 joins I-15) and also because this Interstate uses US 95 milepost and exit numbers rather than its own unique ones. Some people incorrectly refer to the freeway as I-95.