NDOT director concerned about federal highway funds

Nevada Department of Transportation Director Rudy Malfabon said Monday with federal highway funding good just through March 23, Congress still hasn’t acted on a two-year spending bill.

He said congressional hearings have been held on the subject including with the transportation secretary.

Malfabon told the transportation board NDOT is joining other states in asking in the meantime, federal funding authorized under the FAST Act be given to Nevada and the other states and the federal government address the sustainability of the federal highway trust fund.

“We need that assurance of federal funds,” he said.

He said they also want Congress to protect the 5.9 Gigaherz transmission band, keeping it available for public agencies for vehicle communications. There have been suggestions the Federal Communications Commission may auction frequencies in that bandwidth to Internet streaming companies.

Malfabon said Granite Construction is the apparent low bidder on the State Route 88/Centerville Lane compact roundabout project. The bid was $1,125 million for the project but the contract hasn’t been formally awarded yet.

He said NDOT opens bids this week on the Interstate 80 repaving contract from Keystone Avenue to the California state line. That project is expected to cost anywhere from $34-$41 million.

The USA Parkway Electric Avenue signal project, however, has been awarded to Sierra Nevada Construction.

Malfabon said before installation can begin, utilities including two fire hydrants along with communications lines belonging to Switch, AT&T and Charter Communications must be moved. That contract is worth $1.85 million.

In addition, road and Highway Builders was awarded the $3.9 million contract to resurface the Lamoille Highway southeast of Elko.

The board voted on Monday to approve the third and final $140 million in bonds to complete Project NEON, the largest transportation project in state history at about $1 billion. Project NEON has been in the works for a decade. It’s scheduled to be completed in 2019.