Carson City RTC approves multi-use path along I-580

The Regional Transportation Commission approved a construction contract for Carson City’s freeway multi-use path project.

The project consists of 5,700 linear feet of path located east and west of I-580 from Northridge Drive south to U.S. Highway 50, then east of the freeway to east 5th Street.

It also includes a road project adjacent to the path: mill and overlay pavement work on Airport Road as well as drainage, fencing, erosion control and revegetation.

The RTC awarded the $1.02 million contract to Sierra Nevada Construction Inc.

The city received three bids, all significantly higher than the engineer’s estimates, said Lucia Maloney, transportation manager.

Maloney said the estimates were several year’s old and construction costs had increased so an additional $155,000 was needed to fund the project, which the RTC approved.

She said the RTC could consider putting it out for bid in the spring, although costs would likely only continue to rise, or scrapping the project, but that staff recommended going forward with it now.

If not, about $60,000 in money already spent on design would have to be reimbursed because the project is funded by two federal grants.

The Public Works department has $417,000 in undesignated funds available.

Another multi-use path, from the linear ditch north of Fairview Drive running 4,200 linear feet south to Colorado Street, also moved forward with RTC approval of an agreement with the Nevada Department of Transportation. NDOT awarded the city $750,000 for the project

RTC also voted to approve the submission of two grants to fund the multi-use path along South Carson Street that will be added as part of the street’s major redesign.