Aggregate Industries SWR Inc. Wins $16.5-Million NDOT Road Widening Contract in Clark County
The Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) awarded a $16.5 million contract to Aggregate Industries SWR Inc. to widen a five-mile section of State Route 160, or Blue Diamond Road, in southwest Clark County. State Route 160 will go from a two-lane highway to a four-travel-lane highway between Mile Marker 10.89, just past State Route 159, and Mile Marker 16.63.

In addition to installing new drainage pipes, barriers, guardrails, and tortoise fencing, the improvements will flatten side slope shoulders to allow for safer vehicle turnouts. NDOT expects the job to be completed sometime in early 2017. Construction will limit travel on the highway during the renovation, but one lane on the stretch of highway will remain open at all times during construction.

 

Transportation 2050 Plan Will Result in New Transportation System Investment in Phoenix
The T2050 plan, approved by voters in August 2015 to expand transit services and make major street improvements, includes 42 miles of new light rail, expanded bus and Dial-A-Ride service, and the repaving of nearly 680 miles of major arterial streets.

Funding for the T2050 plan comes from a change in the city's sales tax. Beginning Jan. 1, the current four-tenths of a cent tax known as Transit 2000 will increase to a seven-tenths of a cent tax. Projections estimate the plan could generate about $16.7 billion over the course of the initiative.

"The plan addresses the city's transportation needs, from streets to buses and light rail and will position us for economic growth and prosperity for decades to come,” says city of Phoenix Councilwoman Thelda Williams, chair of the Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee.

Improving Phoenix's streets is a major part of the initial plan, which also includes street maintenance, funding for new roads and bridges, the creation of more than 1,000 miles of new bike lanes, and installation of 2,000 new streetlights and 135 miles of sidewalks. Through 2035, other notable improvements include Wi-Fi on buses and light rail trains, reloadable fare cards and bus rapid transit (BRT) service along key corridors.

 

Committee to Preserve Nevada Jobs Files Lawsuit Against Nevada Minimum Wage Petition
The Committee to Preserve Nevada Jobs recently filed a lawsuit seeking to invalidate a petition aimed at raising the minimum wage and imposing penalties on Nevada employers, including those who own a small business. The committee is made up of three Nevada chambers of commerce: the Las Vegas Latin Chamber, the Las Vegas Metro Chamber and the Chamber of Reno, Sparks and Northern Nevada.

Latin Chamber President and CEO Otto Merida says, “This dangerous petition does not just seek to increase the minimum wage. If passed, it would also impose mandatory damages of three times actual damages, plus it would require even the smallest businesses to pay plaintiff attorney fees. It would cripple small businesses for even the smallest infraction.”

Kristin McMillan, president and CEO of the Las Vegas Metro Chamber of Commerce, states this is a “job-killing proposal, pure and simple.” She also claims that, “Nevada’s employers cannot weather the effects of this punitive initiative.”

Chamber of Reno Sparks and Northern Nevada CEO Len Stevens says, “This proposal is not only a tremendous burden for small business job creators, but it’s also detrimental to the people they employ.”

 

Victoria Media Recognizes Sundt Construction as Military-Friendly Employer
Victoria Media, the publisher of G.I. Jobs and MIlitary Spouse, awarded Tempe, Ariz.-based Sundt Construction, Inc. a 2016 Military Friendly Employer designation. Sundt is Arizona’s largest employee-owned company and is known for its commitment to hiring military members and making an effort to stay connected with the armed forces community through recruitment and training organizations.

 

“We strive to find hard-working leaders who are self-motivated, ethical, and disciplined,” says Trevor Gelder, Sundt’s director of talent acquisition and deployment. “Our experience shows that U.S. veterans not only embody these qualities, but fit well into our corporate culture.”