The New $13.9 Million Sloan Lane Bridge Is Open in the East Valley, and Not Every Neighbor Is Happy

by Ryan Rose

What Happened

The Sloan Lane extension project is done. FOX5 reporter Athena Jreij reported that the county broke ground in September 2025. The goal was to connect Ruby Creek Drive to Vegas Valley Drive by extending Sloan Lane over the Las Vegas Wash with a new bridge. Before this, Sloan Lane did not cross the wash at that spot, so drivers had to go around.

The total project cost is $13.9 million. When the county kicked off construction in late September 2025, it put out a news release. It said the work would include asphalt pavement, a median, sidewalk, curb and gutter, a channel, storm drain, streetlights, a traffic signal, utility adjustments, pavement markings and signage. The county said the main work was on Sloan Lane from Vegas Valley Drive to Ruby Creek Drive. It also said there would be extra work at the intersection of Sahara Avenue and Sloan Lane.

Now it is open. Commissioner Tick Segerblom said in a social media post that the new connection would save residents over a mile of driving, according to FOX5.

Some neighbors are thrilled. Helena Clark owns a karate studio in the area and lives nearby. She told FOX5 she drove across with her husband as soon as it opened. "It was the happiest day of my life with my husband; we just drove in there now that it's open," Clark said. She said her husband told her the new route saved them over a mile and a half on the drive to karate.

Not everyone feels that way. Quinn Taligatos lives in the area and told FOX5 about not wanting the bridge. "I didn't want it, to tell you the truth. I do like how quiet it was back here," Taligatos said. "Now we're going to have multiple cars coming through just to get through." Taligatos did admit it is useful, calling it "a nice little cutoff," in some cases, to get to the Vegas Valley side.

The Las Vegas Wash at Vegas Valley Drive after a storm, the east valley drainage channel the new Sloan Lane bridge now crosses

Why It Matters to Las Vegas Residents

The biggest change is how people get around. When a wash cuts through a neighborhood, there are only so many places to cross it. People on one side may live close to a school, a store or a friend on the other side, but still have to drive the long way. A new crossing changes that. The commissioner put the savings at more than a mile. Helena Clark said her family's drive to karate is over a mile and a half shorter.

A mile does not sound like much. But think about how often you make the same short trips. School drop-off. The grocery store. Practice. Work. A shorter route on trips you make every day adds up over a week, a month and a year. It means a little less time in the car and a little less gas.

Local businesses can feel it too. Helena Clark owns a karate studio in the area, and she said the new route cut her own family's drive. When it is easier for families on both sides of the wash to reach a small business, that business has a bigger pool of nearby customers. The county itself pointed to this when it said the connection would link residents to schools and businesses. A studio, a corner shop or a restaurant that used to feel far away for people across the wash may now be a short hop.

The county framed this as a connection project. When construction started, Commissioner Segerblom said, "This bridge is more than infrastructure; it builds connection and access for our community." He also said the bridge and road connection would significantly increase connectivity on the east side of the valley, connecting residents to schools and businesses.

The other side of the story is just as real. When a street that used to dead-end or loop back becomes a through route, traffic patterns shift. Drivers who never had a reason to use a street now have one. Quinn Taligatos put it simply: the street used to be quiet, and now Taligatos expects cars cutting through just to get to the other side. That worry is common any time a new road link opens next to homes. People who bought on a quiet street may feel like the street changed under them.

There is a safety piece too. More cars on a neighborhood street can mean more speeding and more risk for kids, walkers and people biking. The project did add sidewalks, streetlights, a traffic signal and new signs and markings, according to the county's description of the work. Those features help. How well they work will depend on how drivers behave once the new route becomes part of their routine.

Background and History

The Las Vegas Wash is one of the valley's most important pieces of drainage. It carries stormwater from across the valley east toward Lake Mead. In the east valley, it also acts like a dividing line between neighborhoods. Roads can only cross it where there is a bridge.

That is the gap this project was built to close. Clark County Commissioner Tick Segerblom and the Department of Public Works held a kickoff to celebrate the start of construction in late September 2025. The county's release that day was titled "Commissioner Segerblom and Clark County Public Works Launch Project to Connect Sloan Lane Over Wash." It described the project as extending Sloan Lane with a paved road and a bridge over the Las Vegas Wash to connect Ruby Creek Drive to Vegas Valley Drive.

During construction, the county said work would generally happen Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Near the intersection of Sahara Avenue and Sloan Lane, work hours were generally 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekdays. At kickoff, the county said it expected the project to be done in winter 2026. FOX5's report shows the bridge open in late October 2026, after more than a year of work.

Here is the project at a glance, based on the county's release and FOX5's report:

Cost: $13.9 million, a Clark County project.
What: Sloan Lane extended with a paved road and a new bridge over the Las Vegas Wash.
Where: Sloan Lane from Vegas Valley Drive to Ruby Creek Drive, plus extra work at Sahara Avenue and Sloan Lane.
Started: September 2025.
Opened: reported complete by FOX5 on Oct. 24, 2026.
Extras: pavement, median, sidewalk, curb and gutter, storm drain, streetlights, a traffic signal, signs and pavement markings.
Savings: more than a mile of driving for residents, according to Commissioner Segerblom.

What Happens Next

The bridge is open, so the next phase is all about how people use it. Over the coming weeks, drivers will figure out whether the Sloan Lane route saves them time. Navigation apps will start to send people across it. That is when neighbors will see how much traffic really shifts onto nearby streets.

If cut-through traffic becomes a problem, residents can raise it with the county. Clark County Public Works handles roads in unincorporated areas like this part of the east valley, and the county commissioner's office is another place to share concerns. Speeding, missing signs or a need for traffic calming are the kinds of issues neighbors often bring to the county after a new road opens.

There are also a few things we do not know yet. The reports we used did not include traffic counts for the new route, so it is too early to say how many drivers will use it. They also did not mention any plans for traffic calming on nearby residential streets. And they did not say whether the final cost came in at, above or below the $13.9 million figure. Those are fair questions for neighbors to ask the county as the route settles in.

For people who were excited about the bridge, the next step is simple. Try the new route and see if it fits your daily trips. Helena Clark's family already did, and they say it saves them over a mile and a half to get to karate.

Ryan's Take

I see this kind of trade-off all the time when I help people buy and sell homes. A new road connection can make a neighborhood easier to get in and out of. That is a real plus for many buyers, especially families juggling school runs and work. Shorter drives to schools and businesses, which the county named as a goal here, are the kind of thing people care about when they choose where to live.

At the same time, a quiet street is a feature too. Some buyers pay close attention to through traffic, and some homeowners chose their street because it was calm. When a new link opens, it is fair for nearby owners to want to see how traffic settles before deciding how they feel. My advice is to give it a little time. Watch the traffic over a few weeks, at different times of day. If you are thinking about selling nearby, knowing how the new route actually affects your street will help you talk about it honestly with buyers. And if you are buying in the east valley, drive the area at rush hour, not just on a quiet Sunday.

I also think it is worth giving credit where it is due. Public projects like this take a lot of planning, this one took more than a year of construction, and projects like it are paid for with public money. When one gets finished and actually shortens people's drives, that is a good outcome. The best result now is a bridge that saves time for commuters and families while the streets next to it stay safe and livable for the people who call them home. Both of those can be true if drivers respect the neighborhood they are passing through.

What You Can Do

If you live near the new bridge, try the route and see how it changes your daily drive. Note how long your usual trips take now compared to before. If you liked the quiet, keep an eye on traffic on your street over the next few weeks so you know whether the change is small or large.

If traffic or speeding becomes a concern, report it. Clark County Public Works and your county commissioner's office are the right places to start for roads in unincorporated parts of the east valley. Clear, specific reports, like the time of day and the type of problem, are the most helpful.

A simple way to track it: jot down what you see on your street a couple of times a week. Note the day, the time and roughly how busy it was. Compare it to how it felt before the bridge opened. If you notice speeding, write down when it tends to happen. Notes like these turn a general complaint into something the county can act on. They also help you see whether early traffic was just curiosity from people trying the new route, or a lasting change.

If you drive across the new bridge, remember you are passing through a neighborhood. Slow down, watch for people using the new sidewalks, and follow the new signs and markings. A shortcut is only a good thing for everyone if it stays safe for the people who live along it.

And if you are thinking about buying or selling in the east valley, it is worth knowing how projects like this change daily routes. Small changes in how you get around can make a big difference in how a neighborhood fits your life.

Have questions about how this affects your home or neighborhood? Reach out to Ryan Rose or text/call 702-747-5921 anytime. Ryan Rose | Real Broker, LLC | 702-747-5921 | ryan@rosehomeslv.com | rosehomeslv.com