Town Wash Construction will impact Old Mill Road traffic

Thursday, September 02, 2010

Construction on the Town Wash Conveyance System began this week and will continue for the next eight months to a year, according to Kurt O. Sawyer, Mesquite Building and Capital Projects director.

“With replacement of the box culvert under the pavement, Old Mill Road will be the street to be impacted the most by this construction project,” said Sawyer. “To minimize impact to motorists and school buses, the contractor has scheduled construction of the box culverts during the winter school break from Dec. 18 through Jan. 2.”

Sawyer said that since Old Mill Road is the major access for the Mesquite Recreation Center and the Mesquite Senior Center, as well as a bus route for Virgin Valley Elementary; motorists should find alternative routes during construction of the box culverts. He said access will still be available, but delays are likely.

”Motorists can prevent travel delays by using First North Street and Desert Drive for access to the Senior Center and Recreation Center and Mesquite Boulevard for access to Virgin Valley Elementary,” said Sawyer. In addition to Old Mill Road, additional roads affected by the construction are First North, Mesquite Blvd., First South, Second South and Hafen Lane.

The City awarded the Town Wash Conveyance System contract on July 27, 2010, to Pride Contractors, LLC. The project, funded primarily by the Clark County Regional Flood Control District, runs south from I-15 past the Recreation Center to the Virgin River.

The Town Wash Trail will also be affected during the construction period.

“Due to the extensive rerouting of the trail down the wash and the on-going construction of the system, the Town Wash Trail will be closed from Old Mill Road to the Virgin River during construction,” said Chuck Bentley of Pride Contractors, LLC.

Notification of road delays will be posted on www.MesquiteNV.gov. Email questions regarding construction of the Town Wash Conveyance System can be sent to Kurt Sawyer at ksawyer@mesquitenv.gov.

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.