COLAB Las Vegas
A rendering of the Project Neon Downtown Gateway.
Friday, Sept. 12, 2014 | 9:49 a.m.
CARSON CITY — The state Department of Transportation is considering speeding up a $100 million highway construction project that would improve access between Lyon County and Tesla Motor Co.’s planned battery factory in Storey County.
But money won’t be taken away from the giant Neon project on I-15 in Clark County.
Rudy Malfabon, director of the Department of Transportation, told legislators Thursday that Neon and other Southern Nevada projects were not in danger of losing money set aside for road construction.
But accelerating the project could mean some money is trimmed from Northern Nevada highway projects.
Construction on a stretch tying U.S. 50 to Interstate 80 was scheduled for 2018 but now may be moved to 2016 or 2017 if approved by the state Transportation Board.
Malfabon was questioned by state lawmakers about the possibility of Neon losing money if the Lyon County project was accelerated.
The comments came as legislators considered giving $1.3 billion in tax breaks to Tesla to locate a plant east of Reno. Lawmakers approved the plan and Gov. Brian Sandoval signed the deal into law late Thursday.
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