The opening of the I-580 bridge and the extension to Carson City may just help boost the economy in Carson City. City officials and construction companies are banking on it. The bridge will certainly help shorten the commute time between Reno and Carson City and that's actually expected to create interest in manufacturing companies that have been considering Carson City as an option.
"Anything that helps with transportation improvements is important to companies looking to relocate to the area and will really expand their opportunities for those who were focused in the Greater Reno area, Carson City becomes a viable option for them," says Cary Richardson with Miles Construction.
According to Richardson, it's mostly manufacturing companies that are considering relocating to Northern Nevada right now. And quality of life for their employees is a high priority.
"It's not about this improvement creating x-number of jobs," Richardson says. "It demonstrates we're invested in infrastructure and it will entice business here. It shows we're not just talking about it, we're doing it."
And he says, hopefully it will become a cycle where this improvement will bring companies to Carson City which will create jobs and tax money. Then the tax money will bring more improvements to the infrastructure.
Although there is a grand opening set for the bridge this Thursday, officials with the Nevada Department of Transportation say they don't expect it to be fully open to traffic until Mid-August.
Written by Erin Breen
