Sahara Avenue Explained

State:NV
Type:SR
Route:589
Alternate Name:Sahara Avenue
Map Custom:yes
Map Notes:Former SR 589 highlighted in red
Length Mi:10.023
Length Ref:[1]
Length Round:3
Established:1976
Decommissioned:2019
Direction A:West
Terminus A: in Las VegasSpring Valley line
Junction:
  • in Las Vegas
Direction B:East
Terminus B: in Sunrise Manor
Previous Type:SR
Previous Route:582
Next Type:SR
Next Route:591

Sahara Avenue is a major east-west roadway in the Las Vegas Valley. The former State Route 589 (SR 589) comprised a large portion of the street. The roadway is named after the Sahara Hotel and Casino, which itself is named after the Sahara desert. The casino is located on Las Vegas Boulevard where the boulevard intersects with Sahara Avenue.

Route description

Sahara Avenue begins in the western valley at Red Rock Ranch Road as the continuation of Desert Foothills Drive west of the Las Vegas Beltway.SR 589 began in the western Las Vegas Valley at its intersection with Rainbow Boulevard (SR 595). From there, the route continued due east to cross Interstate 15 and Las Vegas Boulevard. SR 589 proceeded further east to cross Fremont Street/Boulder Highway (SR 582), entering the unincorporated town of Sunrise Manor, passing under I-515/US 93/US 95 and terminated at Nellis Boulevard (SR 612). Sahara Avenue ends at the Hollywood Regional Park, just east of Hollywood Boulevard.

Through much of the Las Vegas area, Sahara Avenue comprises the southern boundary of the City of Las Vegas. At the intersection of Las Vegas Boulevard, Sahara Avenue marks what is typically considered the northern boundary of the Las Vegas Strip.

History

The road was originally called San Francisco Avenue and served as the southern city limit for Las Vegas.

In the 1960s, city planners envisioned construction of an expressway along Sahara to Rainbow Boulevard.

The Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) removed SR 589 from its maintenance logs by the beginning of 2019,[2] and has begun the process of turning ownership of the roadway over to the City of Las Vegas and Clark County.[3]

Major intersections

Junctions listed are for SR 589 only.

Attractions

Public transport

Current RTC Route Sahara Avenue Express (SX) operated on this road.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: State Maintained Highways of Nevada: Descriptions and Maps. Nevada Department of Transportation. Nevada Department of Transportation. January 2017. March 11, 2017.
  2. Web site: State Maintained Highways of Nevada: Descriptions and Maps. Nevada Department of Transportation. Nevada Department of Transportation. January 2019. December 14, 2019.
  3. News: Ackers. Mick. June 10, 2019. City, county, state to swap various Las Vegas Valley roadways. Las Vegas Review-Journal. December 14, 2019.