Nevada Gov. Jim Gibbons (R) signed a law on June 7 giving the state a $1-billion infusion for highway construction funding. It includes a $20-million yearly commitment from the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, plus a reallocation of car rental and property taxes. Gibbons had threatened to veto any bill raising new taxes. The measure still falls short of Nevada's estimated $5-billion highway construction deficit through 2015. It serves as a stopgap funding bill until the state legislature reconvenes in 2009. Rising cost for building materials also have resulted in fewer projects under way. "In 2005-2006, we saw a 30% inflationary cost increase for concrete, steel and asphalt," says Susan Martinovich, director of the Nevada Dept. of Transportation. The agency has slashed its $130-million annual road maintenance pro-gram by 62% as a cost-savings measure through at least 2010.