Okay, real talk. If you drive the Strip for work, school runs, or airport drops, this is the week Grand Prix prep stops being a late night thing and starts eating your morning.
Race organizers released the Nov. 9 to 15 schedule on Nov. 6, and they note it may change. The race itself runs Nov. 19 to 21, so this is the final stretch of track work before race week.
The fresh part most people will miss is the clock. Las Vegas Boulevard work now runs from midnight to noon, not just overnight, so a normal morning trip can land right in it.
The Closures, Day by Day
Here is the whole week in one place. One lane stays open each way where lanes are reduced, so nothing here is a full Strip shutdown this week.
| Road | Dates and hours | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Las Vegas Boulevard, Spring Mountain Road to Harmon Avenue | Nov. 9 to 13, midnight to noon | Lanes reduced, one lane open each way |
| Sands Avenue, Las Vegas Boulevard to Manhattan Street | Through Nov. 13, 9 p.m. to 6 a.m., Sunday through Friday | Lanes reduced, one lane open each way |
| Points around the circuit, for gantry work | Nov. 10 to 12 | Two lanes closed at a time, about 30 minutes each |
| Koval Lane, Rochelle Avenue to Harmon Avenue | From 12:01 a.m. Nov. 14, listed through Nov. 23 | Fully closed |
Sands Avenue is the sneaky one for nightlife and late shifts. That 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. window hits the Venetian and Wynn area right around late night pickup time.
The Two Closures That Will Actually Bite
Koval is the big one, and it is not close. Once Koval closes at 12:01 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 14, the usual east side shortcut behind the Strip is gone through Nov. 23.
Plan pickups and drop offs east of the Strip around it. Paradise Road and Swenson Street are the workarounds the schedule points you to, and both will fill up fast.
Walkers get a squeeze too. The bridge linking Bellagio and Horseshoe, and the bridge from Harmon Shops to the southeast corner of Harmon Avenue, close from midnight to 9 a.m. daily from Nov. 11 to 14.
Bus riders should check before they go. RTC says seven Route 119 stops on Koval Lane between Rochelle Avenue and Westchester Drive stay closed around the clock through Dec. 18.
Sands Avenue stops 2504 and 2505, and westbound stop 2572 on Spring Mountain Road, stay closed through Nov. 25. Gantry work may also slow the Deuce and other Strip routes this week.
How to Move This Week Without Losing Your Morning
This part is simple, and it will save you real time. Treat the center Strip like a one lane road until noon from Monday through Friday.
- Leave earlier before noon. The Boulevard reduction runs midnight to noon from Nov. 9 to 13, so morning trips need the buffer, not just night trips.
- Quit Koval on Friday night. Do not wait for Saturday morning, because the full closure starts at 12:01 a.m. Nov. 14.
- Get the updates on your phone. Text F1LV to 31996, check transportation.f1lasvegasgp.com, or see RTC alerts at rtcsnv.com/alertsanddetours.
- Look ahead one week. From Nov. 17 to 25, the Deuce and Routes 119, 202 and 203 run special race week schedules.
I love race week, truly. I just love it a lot more when I am not stuck on the Boulevard watching the cones win.
Save this schedule, set that text alert today, and give yourself the extra minutes this week. Future you, parked and on time, says thanks.
