U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said the Interstate 15 fiasco, which caused chaos for motorists traveling from Southern California to Las Vegas last month, shows the importance of introducing alternative travel options, such as Brightline West’s planned high-speed intercity rail line.

Northbound Interstate 15 was closed for nearly two days last month after a truck loaded with large lithium batteries overturned near Baker, California. The long closure was due to the danger of lithium battery fires, which release chemicals and toxic gases.

During the closure, motorists attempted to bypass the accident site via Interstate 40, causing excessive congestion on that highway.

“This is one of the reasons why it’s important to create options and alternatives,” Buttigieg said Monday in an exclusive interview with the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

“Look, the best thing is to prevent any kind of disruption in the first place. But it also helps reduce the congestion that occurs on these roads,” he said. “When there are different alternatives like we’re introducing with these different investments, and when we invest in I-15 itself, that means a better future for people getting to where they need to go.”

An alternative would be Brightline West’s high-speed rail project and its planned $12 billion project to connect Las Vegas and Los Angeles by passenger rail. Brightline began construction on the project in April and plans to have the system completed and operational in time for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

Better training of emergency responders and provision of the necessary equipment for cleanup after such hazardous incidents could help prevent similar long-term closures of major traffic arteries such as I-15 in the future.

“Any time hazardous materials are being transported, it is important that first responders have the training equipment necessary to respond,” Buttigieg said. “We have had infrastructure problems caused in part by the transportation of gasoline and diesel, but in part by newer technology. As technology evolves, safety practices must also evolve to stay one step ahead and minimize disruption and, most importantly, prevent injuries and deaths.”

Vegas Projects

Buttigieg was in Las Vegas for two events, including the groundbreaking of the $378 million Maryland Parkway Bus Rapid Transit Line project. The project, which will transform the 12.5-mile bus corridor between Harry Reid International Airport and the Las Vegas Medical District, received $150 million in federal funding earlier this year.

The plan is to create 7 miles of dedicated bus lanes on the Maryland Parkway. Bus stops will be spaced one mile apart and buses will be given priority over traffic lights. The project is expected to be completed sometime in 2026.

Local projects like the Maryland Parkway BRT are just as important as any others being planned across the country, Buttigieg said.

“I think mass transit like that is critical, especially because there are a lot of workers who maybe don’t have a car or for whom it’s not practical or affordable to drive to their workplace every day and park there,” Buttigieg said. “There’s this bus rapid transit system that, importantly, will be running 24/7 because a lot of people work shifts. Connecting downtown to the hospital and the medical campus, the university and the airport will create a lot of jobs for a lot of people, and that’s at a time when access to those jobs and affordability is a real issue for everybody.”

In the Las Vegas Valley, there are road projects in nearly every neighborhood, and several new ones are already in the pipeline. These locally significant projects, like the Maryland Parkway BRT or the I-15 Tropicana project—which received $50 million from the USDOT—are more important than any other in the country.

“There’s a lot of job growth and population growth here, and you have to make sure the infrastructure grows with it, otherwise you’re going to have more congestion, pollution and frustration,” Buttigieg said. “That’s why we’re investing in Southern Nevada in so many ways. Whether it’s the Tropicana interchange with I-15, a major historic project like Brightline West to connect people to Southern California without them having to get in a car… When your community grows, your transportation systems have to grow with it. But until now, the funding for that hasn’t been there. We’re making up for lost time and then some.”

Potential for a second commercial airport in Southern Nevada

The continued growth of the Las Vegas Valley has also brought into focus the possible need for a second commercial airport to complement Reid Airport. Local officials are eyeing the potential for a second airport in Ivanpah, which is south of the valley and west of I-15.

Buttigieg said whether and when a second airport will be built in Southern Nevada is largely a local decision, but if it does happen, there are likely ways to secure federal funding to make it possible.

“Whether it’s improving capacity at existing airports or expanding what’s possible, we’ll be there as much as we can with funding for the Biden-Harris infrastructure plan,” Buttigieg said. “And it includes an extraordinary amount of funding for America’s airports, including one we’re excited to announce tomorrow through the latest round of grants.”

Contact Mick Akers at [email protected] or 702-387-2920. Follow @mickakers on X.