By Alan Snel, LVSportsBiz.com Publisher-Writer
LAS VEGAS, Nevada — Here we go again.
The Formula 1 Las Vegas car race will start course construction Sept. 2 in the Strip corridor and take two and a half months to build the 3.8-mile circuit for the Nov. 19-21 event.
But it’s hardly over when the Nov. 21 Saturday night race of two hours ends.
Then, there’s the job of tearing down the concrete barriers, track lighting posts and the various temporary bridges. The dismantling starts Nov. 22 and goes more than a month to right before Christmas.
The route follows Las Vegas Boulevard, Koval Lane, Harmon Avenue and Sands Avenue.
The race is now in its fourth year.
The event has split Las Vegas. The hotels along the race course like the event because it brings in more money than usual for that weekend before Thanksgiving.
But locals and workers in the Strip corridor don’t like the event because of the extra traffic and access problems.
Since Las Vegas’ economy is based on tourism, the Clark County commissioners approved the event and the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) gave the Las Vegas Grand Prix promoter a $100 million sponsorship deal through 2037.
The race’s first year in 2023 was a mess as the grand prix road paving and land closures caused traffic jams and triggered lawsuits from local businesses. But lawsuits were settled and race course work will happen mostly in the overnight hours from late Sunday through Friday mornings. Las Vegas Boulevard course construction is 12 midnight through 9 AM, while other construction hours and lane closures on other roads start at 9 PM and go to 6 AM.
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