A new welcome sign, featuring two 26-foot-tall showgirls and the words “City of Las Vegas,” was dedicated last week at its location at the intersection of Las Vegas Boulevard and Main Street, just north of the Stratosphere.

The $400,000 sign near the gateway to the city is expected to turn into the kind of iconic photo op that the “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas Nevada” sign has been for decades. As such, Stratosphere is carving out a nearby parking lot that will open in a month.

Batali restaurants close: The three restaurants at Venetian and Palazzo that were partially owned by Mario Batali have closed. Carnevino, B&B Ristorante and Otto Enoteca e Pizzeria all closed after sexual misconduct allegations against Batali prompted Sands Corp. to part ways with owners B&B Hospitality. A new Italian restaurant out of L.A. called The Factory Kitchen has already opened in one of the spaces, while Carnevino, at least, will seek another location.

Chicken Shaq: Former NBA star Shaquille O’Neal is opening a restaurant called Big Chicken across from the Hard Rock casino. He says he’ll also produce a reality show surrounding the opening of the restaurant. The opening date is slated for October.

Jackpot at Harrah’s: The Wheel of Fortune jackpot train chugs on with a $1.2 million jackpot hit last month at Harrah’s. It follows a string of three Wheel of Fortune jackpots of $1 million or more in June at the Venetian, Cosmopolitan and Silverton.

Question: How long will it be until the big freeway project is completed? It’s a nightmare driving even short distances.

Answer: The Project Neon roadwork that’s been disrupting Las Vegas traffic on I-15 is 75 percent complete. Work is expected to continue until next summer, but it appears that the intensity of the work, and thus the delays, will diminish sooner.

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