Exit 120 Lane Reconfiguration project awarded to local contractor, work to begin late July

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Legacy Construction and Development was awarded a $80,992 contract by the City of Mesquite and Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT), for the interim reconfiguration of traffic lanes on Mesquite Blvd. and Falcon Ridge Parkway around Exit 120 and Interstate 15. The construction, which is scheduled to begin the last week of July through August, will provide stacking lanes to ease congestion and improve safety at the freeway ramps.

“There will be some inconveniences for several weeks while the lanes around Exit 120 are being reconfigured and widened,” said Kurt Sawyer, director of Building and Capital Projects for the City of Mesquite. “We would ask motorists to be understanding of slight delays and to plan their trips accordingly.”

A separate $29 million reconstruction project proposed by NDOT and the Regional Transportation Commission for Exit 120 is proposed to begin in early 2011. The 12-month reconstruction project will include bridge replacements, improved off/on-ramp and underpass traffic flow as well as a new access road to Sunset Greens.

The Desert Tortoise

Like many desert creatures, desert tortoises spend most of their lives "holed up." In spring and summer, they roam grazing on grasses and wildflowers, then head for their burrows when it gets too hot. In fall and winter, when it is cold and there is not much to eat, they stay burrowed in for six months or more at a time.

If you see a desert tortoise, you are seeing an endangered species. Please watch out for them on the roads. Tortoises live in washes and valleys where the soil is soft enough for them to burrow into, yet stable enough so they do not collapse. Remember, desert tortoises are protected under the Endangered Species Act and may not be handled or removed.

Golf in the Desert

The city of Mesquite combines calm, small-town flavour with big-city attractions and championship golf. The Palms and the Oasis Golf Clubs are only two of the half-dozen challenging courses in the area.

Golf Highlights in Mesquite

Golf built on the dramatic Virgin Foothills of Nevada makes for a unique landscape and golf setting.
Enjoy a spa treatment at the Spa at Casablanca or the Spa at the Oasis.
Mesquite serves as a gateway to the national parks of Southern Utah and Zion National Park, which is less than two hours away.

View more information about golf courses in Mesquite

The Speedy RoadRunner

Called paisano in Mexico, the roadrunner is a well-known desert resident that only superficially resembles its popular cartoon portrayal. The greater roadrunner has adapted to life on the run. Though it can fly well, it prefers to use its strong legs and X- shaped toes to run rapidly over the desert landscape. Active predators, roadrunners aggressively chase insects, lizards, snakes, small birds and mammals.

Tolerant of humans, they sometimes nest in protected eaves and garages when they are not building large stick nests in desert trees. Their vocalizations include bill clicking noises and a mournful cooing made during breeding seasons. They do not meep-meep.