Representatives of the Nevada Department of Transportation appeared at NAIOP Southern Nevada’s recent transportation panel breakfast to discuss funding and future projects.
Currently, a number of transportation projects such as the I-15 Tropicana Interchange and Let’s Go Maryland Parkwayare making significant progress. Future projects are becoming increasingly difficult to plan and fund as time goes on and inflation raises costs.
NDOT currently receives much of its funding from a highway state fuel tax and federal fuel tax created in 1993. NDOT’s 2025-26 budget is estimated at $896M, with federal funding accounting for $608M. This equates to 61% of the department’s funding stemming from the federal government. The representative expressed the department is wary as the new administration is averse to federal funding.
NDOT’s budget has shown a 25% decrease from its 2023-2024 level. The previous budget totaled $1.2B. Construction inflation has seen a steady rise over the past few years as well, having increased 68% nationally since 2021.
NDOT has had to defer most of its projects solely funded by the state due to the rise in costs. NDOT canceled its $5B Downtown Access Project due to environmental and cost concerns. (Source)
