F1 moving swiftly out of Las Vegas Strip area as incoming events begin arriving

Ryan Matthey and Caroline Bleakley

2 hours ago

Construction personnel work the day after Thanksgiving to tear down the ultra-exclusive Fountain Club in front of the Bellagio, which blocked views of the hotel’s iconic fountain show since September. (KLAS)

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — It took half a year to put it all up, and now it’s a race to take Formula One down before other events arrive in Las Vegas.

A week after the racing giant sped in and out of town, 3.8 miles of temporary structures were left behind: lights, bridges, and, of course, flashy grandstands where tickets could cost as much as $10,000 each.

The dismantle started the day after the Saturday night race. Now, Las Vegas Boulevard is less of a racetrack than just days prior as 10-foot-tall barriers have disappeared and pedestrian bridge obstructions are almost completely peeled off.

Lights and their adjoining stanchions still wrap around the Strip, Harmon Avenue, Koval Lane, and Sands Avenue. MGM Resorts confirmed in September that some of the trees removed around the iconic Bellagio fountain for the eventual Fountain Club would be replanted before New Year’s Eve.

As for the grandstands, Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority (LVCVA) President and CEO Steve Hill said they’re coming down too.

“(Hotel and casino operators) certainly don’t want to commit long term because that land is so valuable,” Hill said after the Nov. 14 LVCVA board meeting, speaking of the thousands of elevated seats that were mostly installed on hospitality property.

But, what has added value, Hill said, is the temporary vehicle bridge over Koval on Flamingo Road. Due to reported increases in traffic flow at this intersection, a permanent bridge could be built for future races that would help with traffic year-round.

“Developing a permanent bridge for that intersection would be a complete change in the disruption that folks here would feel while (the race is) being built and while it’s being torn down,” Hill said.

While the takedown is F1’s responsibility, Las Vegas Grand Prix officials have yet to publicly comment on a timeline. Hill said it could take up to eight weeks after racing events concluded.

If the frustrated drivers aren’t enough to pressure crews to work swiftly, several large incoming events might.