New Mexico’s engineers and contractors are ready to expedite the bidding of $1.2 billion worth of construction projects in the wake of an economic stimulus package. Mike Gibson, executive director of the Associated Contractors of New Mexico, believes the national focus on infrastructure could also stimulate New Mexico’s Legislature to allow design-build, Construction Manager-At-Risk and other alternative project delivery methods in 2009.
“Some concerns of industry leaders are that all 50 states will be competing for resources to deliver their respective lists of projects,” he says. “But the overall consensus of these same industry leaders is that the private sector can handle anything the public sector can throw at them.”