Interstate 40 project in Kingman begins July 11 to improve drive from Phoenix to Las Vegas
Historic Kingman, Arizona road sign over entrance of town. (Photo by: Visions of America/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
KINGMAN, Ariz. - Roadwork is set to begin in Kingman that will connect Interstate 40 and US 93, making the drive from Phoenix to Las Vegas and vice versa much smoother.
The project has been in the works since December and will eliminate a traffic signal at I-40 and Beale Street, replacing that intersection with a free-flowing ramp system.
The overall project is expected to cost more than $100 million and roadwork begins on July 11.
Other elements in the I-40/US 93 West Kingman Traffic Interchange project
The project also has plans to widen a one-mile stretch of I-40 through the Stockton Hill Road junction.
It will add sound walls and improved drainage features along both roadways and add another merge lane to US 93 northbound from the highway.
Four bridges on Interstate 40 will also be repaired by the end of the project.
It is slated for completion in 2026.
Why is this project important?
Phoenix and Las Vegas have been growing steadily with each city seeing an increase in population by more than 1.25% each year since 2020, according to U.S. Census data.
The five-hour road trip is traversed by thousands of vacationers and truckers every month.
Interstate 40 also has important historical significance to the state as part of the original Route 66 that connected Chicago to Los Angeles.
The famous highway is in need of its own repairs as the part that connects Flagstaff to Kingman was voted the worst highway in the country by a group of truckers in 2023.