Henderson awards contract to extend Galleria Drive

Las Vegas Paving Corp. was awarded a $9.7 million construction contract Tuesday to extend Galleria Drive in Henderson.

The project involves constructing Galleria Drive as a four-lane roadway from Pabco Road to Lake Las Vegas Parkway.

“Everybody will breathe a collective sigh of relief, and I think some joy, when that is done,” City Manager Jacob Snow said Tuesday.

According to information provided by city spokesman Bud Cranor, construction is expected to begin “almost immediately” and end in seven months.

City officials have said the extension will provide direct access to U.S. Highway 95 for all the neighborhoods along the route.

Those neighborhoods include Lake Las Vegas, Calico Ridge, Tuscany Hills, Weston Hills and the future Cadence development.

The master plan calls for Galleria Drive to have three lanes in each direction.

Design of the project was funded by The LandWell Company, which is developing Cadence.

Construction is being funded by a local improvement district, the Henderson Redevelopment Agency, the Regional Transportation Commission and The LandWell Company.

The LandWell Company has requested additional improvements to benefit the Cadence development and is contributing additional funds to cover those improvements.

Rather than use the traditional system of public works construction known as “design-bid-build,” which requires the city to select the contractor based on the lowest bid it receives, this project is using a “construction management at risk” system.

Under the system, the city chooses a contractor based primarily on qualifications and experience.

And from this point the contractor plays a key role in pre-construction and design activities.

The city and the contractor enter an agreement, under which the project is constructed for a “guaranteed maximum price.”

Las Vegas Paving was selected in September to conduct preconstruction services for the Galleria Drive extension. Through a series of negotiations, Las Vegas Paving submitted the guaranteed maximum price that was approved Tuesday by the Henderson City Council.

Contact reporter Carri Geer Thevenot at cgeer@reviewjournal.com or 702-384-8710. Follow @CarriGeer on Twitter.