'Rampant' theft threatens to delay US 95 project

It’s nothing new for freeway construction projects to create problems for motorists, but transportation officials are having their own headaches as they widen U.S. 95 in northwest Las Vegas.

The issues aren’t from traffic jams or the usual construction delays — although those do exist. Instead, the Nevada Transportation Department’s contractor is facing problems from theft and vandalism.

The thieves aren’t just getting away with thousands of dollars worth of equipment and materials on a taxpayer-funded project, they’re potentially threatening public safety.

“We’re trying to stop this, but it’s just running rampant,” said Joe Riggs, project manager for Capriati Construction, which has the $89 million contract to widen U.S. 95 from Washington Avenue to Ann Road.

Although this is a Transportation Department project funded with state and federal money, the cost of replacing lost equipment and parts falls on the contractor, but the department is concerned about the possibility of delays and safety, spokeswoman Michelle Booth said.

Riggs said the cost of missing materials is unlikely to be passed on to taxpayers directly, but if the thefts continue at current levels they could delay completion of the project, which is on track to be finished early next summer.

The thefts on this project demonstrate how difficult it can be to protect resources in the public right of way.

One project subcontractor estimated that 10,000 to 15,000 pounds of steel rebar have disappeared from the construction area in the past week alone. A few weeks ago someone stole the battery out of his forklift.

Other subcontractors have reported losing thousands of dollars in copper wiring, aluminum for concrete frames and thousands of gallons of fuel, sucked out of parked equipment.

Most surprising is when the wires are stolen after they are installed, sometimes requiring the thief to cut through some carrying electricity. On occasion, freeway lights have gone out, making the area more dangerous for motorists.

Numerous batteries have been stolen out of portable message signs that alert travelers of shifting lanes and changing work zones. “And then we’re liable (if there’s an accident) since the sign wasn’t on,” said Tim Sessions, assistant project manager.

The construction has also required workers to dig up fiber optic cables that allow traffic officials and the Nevada Highway Patrol to access to freeway traffic cameras . With those wires temporarily exposed aboveground, they have also become a target of thieves, even though they have little resale value.

Local Las Vegas Businessman Goes from NASCAR Pit Crew to Internet ...

Local Las Vegas Businessman Goes from NASCAR Pit Crew to Internet Tech Frontier

Forward-Thinking Entrepreneur Unveils FindAnyFloor. com

Las Vegas (PRWEB) August 14, 2008

Businessman Damien Patton is the classic American success story. From humble beginnings in L. A., he has risen to the heights of success in business. Throw in tours of duty with the U. S. Navy in Desert Storm and Somalia; working as a top pit crew professional on the NASCAR circuit; and graduating magna cum laude from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro with a B. S. in Finance despite not finishing high school, and you get the picture.

''I'm a very competitive person,'' said Patton. "I always want to be the best I can be and I pride myself on learning from my mistakes."

A high-energy, Type A individual, Patton likes his challenges thick and fast. It's hardly surprising, then, that at one time he also served as a Crime Scene Investigator while working full time in a management role for a technology company. Once he moved into the entrepreneurial world, Patton created and managed Pacific Imports International (PII), a premier flooring operation in Honolulu, Hawaii. PII started as a distributor and retailer of hardwood and bamboo flooring (http://www. findanyfloor. com/bamboo/BambooFlooring. xhtml) and expanded its footprint into a contract manufacturer with offices in Las Vegas, Hawaii and China.

After years of hearing flooring customers comment about the lack of consistent and detailed flooring information available on the Internet, he decided to create what the customer thought was missing and FindAnyFloor. com was born.

A man of both charity and compassion, Patton brings these qualities to his work. He also has a concern for the environment that has led him to develop Green. FindAnyFloor. com (http://green. findanyfloor. com/). Not forgetting industry professionals, Patton also started Pro. FindAnyFloor. com (http://Pro. FindAnyFloor. com), as he wanted somewhere for retailers, installers and floor cleaners to socialize other than a few times a year at tradeshows. And from the outset, he was determined that all his sites will be Section 508 accessible.

"Section 508 is part of the federal Rehabilitation Act and was put in place so that technology in all government agencies would be accessible to people with disabilities," said Patton. "We want to take a lead role in the private sector and try to spread the idea. Our goal is to get other commercial websites to realize there are millions of people who need a 508 level of access, and follow suit.

Las Vegas For Dummies

Best Places Las Vegas

Frommer's Las Vegas with Kids

The Unofficial Guide to Las Vegas 2011

Estimates of hydraulic properties from a one-dimensional numerical model of vertical aquifer-system deformation, Lorenzi site, Las Vegas, Nevada