Downtown intersection closed for a month tied to yearslong storm drain improvement project

The yearslong Charleston Boulevard storm drain project reached Commerce Street in downtown Las Vegas this week.

As of Monday, Commerce is closed on the south side of Charleston for a month as crews install large underground box culverts in the area, the city of Las Vegas announced last week.

Work on Charleston at Commerce is scheduled from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. Charleston will remain open with one lane of traffic in each direction during the work at Commerce.

During the operations, Commerce will temporarily be converted into a two-way street between California Avenue and the closure at Charleston to allow for business access to be maintained in the area.

Traffic delays are expected in the area, with Oakey Boulevard and Bonneville Avenue recommended as detours for east-west travel. Casino Center and Las Vegas boulevards are recommended for north-south travel, with Main Street another option for northbound travel, since the storm drain project-related work there has been completed.

During the Main Street portion of the project, businesses located in the Arts District said the ongoing work was hurting their bottom line.

Access for residents and businesses will be maintained during construction.

The $49 million Charleston storm drain project began in August 2025 and is slated for completion by the end of 2027. Storm drain infrastructure is being upgraded on Charleston from Maryland Parkway to Commerce as part of the project.