LAS VEGAS (KLAS) – The latest attraction to light up the Las Vegas Strip is here to stay but it has been causing traffic issues since it lit up in early July, experts say.
The MSG Sphere became an instant sensation when it turned on its lights during the Fourth of July weekend. Since then, the new concert venue has drivers stopping in the middle of the road, people running across lanes of traffic, and big traffic backups all just to get the best possible view.
Director of Road Equity Alliance Project at UNLV Erin Breen said this first-of-its-kind project comes with new risks.
The best way to keep you and others safe is to be extra vigilant around it.
“If you can see the Sphere as you’re driving keep full attention on the road and expect the unexpected. Expect a driver to stop in front of you and a pedestrian to run across the street in front of you,” she said.
Some places are even capitalizing on the views like a private parking lot right across the street.
It charges drivers $20 to come up and see the view. But for most, it’s worth the view.
“It’s definitely one of the coolest things especially when you look over and like wow that is crazy,” Alec Dimitrov, a Las Vegas resident who came to get a picture of his car next to the Sphere said. He added that it gets extra busy at night on the streets right next to the Sphere.
8 News Now looked into the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department’s records on accidents in the area and so far, no noticeable increase in accidents in that area.
Since police track traffic by area command it will be hard to tell what impacts the Sphere will have.
The first event held at MSG Sphere will be a U2 concert on September 29.
