The extensive repaving work around the streets of Las Vegas, Nevada, is nearing completion as the city gears up for hosting Formula 1 later this year.
As reported by Mike Akers of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, the timeline for completing the works to make the Vegas streets race-ready should see the job completed by October.
Terry Miller, of Miller Project Management, the company tasked with repaving the 3.8-mile layout has said the project is in its final stages.
“It’s the last inch-and-three-quarters of very dense paving that we’re laying now around the entire circuit,” Miller said.
The mammoth task has already seen the final repaving take to the famous Las Vegas Boulevard, with the project set to wrap up next to the new paddock building.
Miller also acknowledged the impact the project has been having on the surrounding era, given that Vegas is a world-renowned hotel and casino district, attracting countless visitors and trade all year round.
“There are a lot of projects happening in our valley and public works is doing a lot of summer time work as is always the case during the summer months,” he said.
“We appreciate the patience of all the employees that are impacted around the entire circuit.
“Give us a little more patience for the next couple of months as we wrap this thing up.”
The road works necessary to turn the streets of Las Vegas into a state-of-the-art Grand Prix venue are estimated to cost in the region of $80 million.
The Las Vegas GP event has been met with much anticipation, given its many unique factors.
First up, F1’s return to the city for the first since 1982 means that the United States of America is hosting three GPs this year, which again is a first since 1982, when the USA held races in Long Beach, Detroit and the car park of the Caesar’s Palace hotel.
Another unique factor of this year’s Las Vegas GP is that the night race will be held on a Saturday, with lights out commencing at 22:00 local time on Saturday, 18 November.
Finally, rather than the Grand Prix being promoted locally, Formula 1 itself is the promoter for the Las Vegas GP.
The layout will see F1 cars race down the famous Las Vegas ‘Strip’ and the notorious location has brought some eye-watering financial figures.
F1 has reportedly spent $240 million to acquire the necessary land to build the paddock facility and ticket packages as high as $5 million have gone on sale, meaning the developing track surface will need to be cutting-edge to provide racing worthy of the gargantuan investment.
