How might the SNSA project in Vegas impact Harry Reid airport?

Posted by nextgeneric@reddit | aviation | View on Reddit | 32 comments

Today I learned about the SNSA project (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_Nevada_Supplemental_Airport) that’s due to start in 2029, which is basically the formation of a massive airport just south of Las Vegas along I-15, effectively right at the state line near Primm (where the outlets and Whiskey Pete’s is for those who do the drive from LA-Vegas frequently).

I wasn’t even aware Harry Reid was so strained. So how might this airport coming online impact KLAS operations? Is this just a thinly-veiled operation to eventually get rid of KLAS and use the land for something else (despite the government saying it is not)?

Thoughts?

[-]

zuniac5@reddit

I just found out about this one today too. The site looks fairly small and constrained compared to LAS, and there don't appear to be any plans in the short term to connect it to transit. It screams reliever airport for the likes of Spirit, Allegiant, Frontier, Breeze etc. - pulling low-cost and non-Strip destined traffic away from LAS so it can continue to serve the higher-dollar tourist and convention traffic.

Supposedly LAS is going to be at capacity in 2030 anyway. It would be a massive undertaking to move all that traffic over to a far less convenient airport 35 miles away. I doubt this is a backdoor plan for long-term move, imo.

[-]

shit-shit-shit-shit-@reddit

It would be a massive undertaking to move all that traffic over to a far less convenient airport 35 miles away.

They did it in Denver, though.

What’s the topography between there and The Strip like? Could a high-speed rail line be built concurrently?

[-]

WACS_On@reddit

It's basically all flat desert, with some suburban developments here and there along the way.

Also, 35 miles is a laughably short distance for HSR, just regular light rail will do. Incidentally, Denver has a similar setup, although the light rail extension to the airport was years behind schedule and massively over-budget in standard government project fashion.

[-]

HydroWorldOutlook@reddit

Or commuter/regional rail service from Barstow, CA to St. George, UT, along the Union Pacific Right of Way.

[-]

zuniac5@reddit

Yes, and it was a massive undertaking to get that done. So it's possible, but it seems unlikely imo.

That said...it looks like Brightline West will be nearby if it ever gets built, but the current alignment appears to be on the other side of the interstate from the airport so they would have to change it to serve the SNSA.

Also the goal of BW is not to connect the Strip to the new airport, it's to connect Vegas to LA and beyond up to Northern CA. So frequency of service wouldn't be like a light rail or express train from airport to the Strip etc. Supposedly it's only going to be 1x/hr.

[-]

Its_a_Friendly@reddit

Also the goal of BW is not to connect the Strip to the new airport, it's to connect Vegas to LA. So frequency of service wouldn't be like a light rail or express train from airport to the Strip etc. Supposedly it's only going to be 1x/hr, which is very different to A-Line service to DIA, which is 2-4x/hr.

So long as the route is double-tracked and that all parties involved can come to an agreement, it wouldn't be too difficult to run a dedicated, more frequent airport connector service on the BLW tracks.

[-]

fumar@reddit

At the very least that section could be double tracked. The plan right now is single track + passing loops for BLW.

[-]

zuniac5@reddit

My understanding is that the plans are for it to be single-tracked (presumably with passing tracks in certain spots), through if anyone knows different, please correct me.

[-]

the_ranting_swede@reddit

I'm curious if you have a source for that. I know that's what they did in Florida, but that seems more problematic for the speed and frequency they're planning for Brightline West. I also understood it's much more difficult to single track electrified rail compared to Florida's diesel locos.

I also imagine it would be vastly cheaper to build two parallel tracks in the middle of a freeway, than to come back 5-10 years later to squeeze a new track next to an active one with bullet trains whizzing by.

[-]

zuniac5@reddit

Here's the article I saw re: single-tracking:

https://www.trains.com/trn/news-reviews/news-wire/stb-approves-brightline-west-high-speed-rail-modifications-and-extension-across-cajon-pass/

Construction of the single-track main with passing sidings will be entirely within the Interstate 15 right-of-way except at the stations and a final mile along 8th Street in Rancho Cucamonga.

[-]

Its_a_Friendly@reddit

That's true, though I imagine that double-tracking the Nevada segment of the route would not be too difficult, given the generally open and fairly flat terrain, along with the decently wide freeway right-of-way.

[-]

jpc4zd@reddit

Like the one already proposed https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brightline_West

[-]

AFoxGuy@reddit

Brightline West maybe?

[-]

VermicelliEvening679@reddit

That would be a godsend

[-]

dubvee16@reddit

I mean Spirit flys more routes to LAS than the big 3 do combined. I dont think they would be one leaving. And Allegiant flys more than anyone.

https://mccarranairport.net/statistics/

[-]

zuniac5@reddit

Imagine the cost savings if they could fly to a cheaper airport with all those flights…

[-]

dubvee16@reddit

Imagine the revenue lost by not maintaining market presence at the major airport. You managed to pick the one major airport where those airlines are bigger. They arent going to give that up without a fight. While Allegiant is known for using outlying airports Spirit doesnt really do that anywhere.

[-]

orcajet11@reddit

More routes doesn’t mean they want to be in a higher cost airport more, look at G4 at AZA

[-]

Ryan1869@reddit

I feel like I read somewhere the initial plans were to offload a lot of the cargo operations, since it doesn't really matter where that is located.

[-]

nextgeneric@reddit (OP)

Interesting observation. I think you’re right. I was just really surprised to see how many gates they’re building in addition to two massive runways.

[-]

oioioifuckingoi@reddit

You aren’t kidding! Planes on final will fly quite low with the three towers of Ivanpah just off to their left. Even if pilots find a solution, what about all the passengers who dumbly stare at them?

[-]

bpeden99@reddit

They'll figure it out regardless... I'm not worried

[-]

Groundtrac@reddit

Even if they just moved all the cargo/fedex/Amazon/ups/dhl etc it would free up slots at klas. Isn’t there another executive airport somewhere on the south side too?

[-]

Professional_Low_646@reddit

KHND, Henderson Executive. Very nice little airport.

[-]

keithkman@reddit

So weird to hear people call it Harry Reid. Us locals will always call it McCarran. One thing I hate about flying in to Denver is how long a far downtown is from the airport. This new airport out at state line is going to be just as bad as that if not worse if there is holiday traffic on the 15. Who came up with this grand plan?

[-]

Maleficent_Beyond_95@reddit

Any normal weekend that damn highway is clogged with the folks from LA that seem to go to Vegas every damn weekend.

[-]

SidewalkMD@reddit

It’ll be adjacent to the high speed rail line so it’ll be a bit different from Denver’s slower commuter rail connection.

[-]

just-a-cowpoke@reddit

Love that they have a master plan for 153 gates lol

It’s good to future proof but man, I’d be shocked if they ever got to that.

Even PHX is still battling “do we need a fourth runway or not”. Always ends up being this catch 22, we won’t have the traffic unless we build the runway, and we won’t build the runway unless we have the traffic for it.

[-]