One week until Sphere opens, those who live and work nearby brace for even more traffic
LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) - It is now the final countdown until the Sphere officially opens in Las Vegas off the Strip just east of the Venetian. In one week, September 29, 2023, U2 will be on stage as the multibillion dollar venue’s first performer. With a capacity of 20,000 people, those who live and work nearby are expecting traffic to get worse especially before and after shows. Even before opening, the Sphere’s massive LED screens have officially become a major attraction in Las Vegas.
“It’s beautiful. I mean c’mon, look at it...I don’t even have words,” exclaimed Joanna Rodriguez. Crowds form on the sides of street all around the new hotspot. Many people take pictures of the Sphere and pictures of themselves with the two billion dollar modern marvel. Some onlookers even hang out in the middle of the street on concrete medians to take it all in. Cars stop in travel lanes with drivers memorized by the eye-catching display. The rules of the road don’t seem to apply.
“Oh yeah, they stop traffic right down on Paradise right there and on Twain,” recounted Jeffrey Hargrew who lives by the Sphere. Hargrew is glad to have the nearby addition, he says it literally brightens up the neighborhood.
“It adds character to it. It is a beautiful attraction man,” Hargrew shared with FOX5. While he expects traffic will get a lot worse when the Sphere opens Friday, he says that’s just part of living near the Strip.
“It’s Vegas. Absolutely there is going to be parking issues you know,” Hargrew asserted.
“It affects me a lot,” explained Dominic Marisol with Adrenaline Junkies, a company that gives tours of the desert surrounding the Vegas Valley. Its offices are across the street from the Sphere.
“I pick up guests from hotels throughout the Strip and I take them out to the desert, it kind of effects the tour timing,” Marisol reported. While F1 paving has been the most difficult for them to navigate around, they say people driving around the Sphere and parking illegally has been an issue.
“I see a lot more traffic in the future. It is going to be hard to get anywhere,” Marisol predicted.
FOX5 reached out to NDOT and Clark County to ask about whether there have been complaints of congestion around the Sphere. Clark County tells us no complaints so far through their “FixIt” app. NDOT tells FOX5 they have not received any official complaints through the customer service department. The Sphere is only partially visible from any NDOT-maintained roads. Most of the roads surrounding the venue are maintained by Clark County.
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