SECRETARY SALAZAR ANNOUNCES $16.7 MILLION OF ECONOMIC RECOVERY FUNDING FOR LAKE MEAD NATIONAL RECREATION AREA IN NEVADA

[Andrew...@nps.gov]

U.S. Department of the Interior
Office of the Secretary
Office of Communications

INTERIOR RECOVERY News Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: Nov. 11, 2009
Contact: DOI PAO (202) 208-6416
Bureau PAO (208) 378-5212
Lake Mead NRA PAO, Andrew S. Muñoz (702) 293-8691

SECRETARY SALAZAR ANNOUNCES $16.7 MILLION OF ECONOMIC RECOVERY FUNDING FOR
LAKE MEAD NATIONAL RECREATION AREA IN NEVADA

**PHOTOS: http://www.flickr.com/lakemeadnra

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced today
that work will begin on a $16.7 million road construction project on
National Park Service lands in Southern Nevada under the American Recovery
and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA). Las Vegas Paving Corporation of Las
Vegas will be performing the work set to begin this month under a contract
administered by the Federal Highway Administration.

“This project will complete improvements to the 60-mile long Lakeshore
Road-Northshore Road corridor 4-years ahead of schedule. We are very
pleased that visitors to the northern area of the park will have better and
safer road access,” said Superintendent Bill Dickinson of Lake Mead
National Recreation Area.

The project will include roadway widening, spot safety repairs, and
re-paving 17.5 miles of road from Redstone to the Overton boundary line.

Gary Strike, project manager with the Federal Highway Administration says
that his agency “looks forward to starting work on this project. It will
complete improvements to the route that have been ongoing since the
1980’s.”

Las Vegas Paving Corporation project manager Darren Keser says his company
is extremely pleased to have been awarded the contract.

“We have worked in the National Parks in the past and know exactly how
sensitive these areas are and what the Parks mean to the people so we are
extremely happy to continue our working relationship with the National Park
Service and the Federal Highway Administration,” says Keser.

Park officials have been working with tourism leaders in the surrounding
communities and the Nevada State Commission on Tourism to promote the
corridor.

"We know that visits to Lake Mead National Recreation Area add to the total
Las Vegas visitor experience. A future plan for this tourism corridor is to
apply for state scenic byway designation. The improvements to the road will
be a key aesthetic and safety components to the designation,” said Connie
Mancillas of the Nevada Commission on Tourism.

The ARRA funds represent an important component of the President's plan to
jumpstart the economy and put a down payment on addressing long-neglected
challenges so the country can thrive in the 21st century. Under the ARRA,
Interior is making an investment in conserving America's timeless treasures
– our stunning natural landscapes, our monuments to liberty, the icons of
our culture and heritage – while helping American families and their
communities prosper again. Interior is also focusing on renewable energy
projects, the needs of American Indians, employing youth and promoting
community service.

“With its investments of Recovery Act funds, the Department of the Interior
and its bureaus are putting people to work today to make improvements that
will benefit the environment and the region for many years to come,”
Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar said.

Secretary Salazar has pledged unprecedented levels of transparency and
accountability in the implementation of the Department’s economic recovery
projects. The public will be able to follow the progress of each project on
http://www.recovery.gov and on http://www.interior.gov/recovery. Secretary
Salazar has appointed a Senior Advisor for Economic Recovery, Chris
Henderson, and an Interior Economic Recovery Task Force to work closely
with Interior’s Inspector General and ensure the recovery program is
meeting the high standards for accountability, responsibility, and
transparency set by President Obama.

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(See attached file:
20091109-NPS-PressRelease-NorthshoreRoadProject-FINAL.pdf)