Rancho Drive Upgrade Adds Lane Limits to 2027

Drivers and residents along the Sahara-to-Charleston stretch should plan for single-lane traffic through November 2027.

Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Home Renovation

Wide photograph of a Las Vegas road under construction, with one open lane of new asphalt, orange cones, and a utility trench beside fresh concrete curbs under bright desert light. — The City of Las Vegas began replacing 1960s waterlines and widening sidewalks on Rancho Drive between Sahara Avenue and Charleston Boulevard, keeping single-lane traffic in place through November 2027. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

Live Poll

Do you support long road construction projects that cause years of lane closures in your city?

The City of Las Vegas started a road improvement project on Rancho Drive in February 2026, covering a one-mile stretch between Sahara Avenue and Charleston Boulevard. Single-lane traffic restrictions remain in place along that corridor while the work continues through November 2027.

Why it matters

The city is replacing aging infrastructure so newly laid asphalt does not have to be torn up later, which matters to households that rely on this corridor for commuting, school runs, and transit. The work combines utility replacement with street-level construction, so the disruption is spread across a long stretch of time rather than concentrated in one phase.

The project is budgeted at $30 million and is scheduled to take 19 months, with single-lane traffic restrictions remaining between Sahara Avenue and Charleston Boulevard until November 2027. The one-mile corridor includes replacement of waterlines installed in the 1960s, new manhole covers, and about 20 new trees in the renovated medians.

The players

City of Las Vegas

The municipal government that owns and manages the roads, sidewalks, and drainage along Rancho Drive, and is directing the road improvement project.

NV Energy

The regional electric utility serving Las Vegas, whose power lines are being moved underground as part of the Rancho Drive work.

The details

The city worked with the water district under a betterment agreement to replace the waterlines, which were installed in the 1960s. The project also includes wider or new sidewalks with ADA-accessible ramps, dedicated bus turnouts, upgraded flood control storm drains, and NV Energy power lines moved underground. Utility work and street-level construction are happening at the same time along the corridor.

February 2026: City began the Rancho Drive road improvement project.
November 2027: Project is expected to wrap up and single-lane restrictions are scheduled to end.

The Home Front

The Rancho Drive work is a case of the Las Vegas Valley replacing waterlines installed in the 1960s, when much of the region's utility network was first built. Corridor projects like this one bundle utility replacement with street rebuilding, so the cost and disruption of renewing old infrastructure are absorbed in a single pass.

If you live near or commute along Rancho Drive, plan for single-lane restrictions and build extra travel time into your routine through November 2027. Check the City of Las Vegas for updates on the phased work, and if you have questions about utility or sidewalk access at your property, contact the city directly.

The takeaway

A long, utility-heavy corridor project like Rancho Drive can shape daily routes for well over a year, so households nearby should plan ahead. Keep the November 2027 completion date on your calendar and watch for city notices about lane changes and access.

What happens next

Single-lane traffic restrictions on Rancho Drive between Sahara Avenue and Charleston Boulevard will remain in place until the project wraps up in November 2027.