BATTLE MOUNTAIN - A notice to proceed was granted Sept. 10 by the Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) for the new Austin Loneliest Highway Visitor Center.
The center will be located on Main Street on ground once occupied by the old Austin Hotel, which burned down more than 30 years ago.
The aim for the center is to attract the many visitors that travel through Austin to stop and explore what the town has to offer.
Lander County Executive Director Gene Etcheverry said he is slated to meet sometime this week with the project team to set up a pre-bid conference in Reno. Sometime after that, Etcheverry is planning to have a site visit for the bidders and to unveil the center to the public.
The project team includes Cynthia Albright, with Stantec Consulting, Dora Blossom, with Shaw Engineering, and Etcheverry. Stantec Consulting has been handling the design and environmental engineering aspects of the project.
Etcheverry is hoping to have the project out to bid by the second week in October.
The center includes a courtyard, informational kiosks, restrooms, bench seating, picnic tables and interpretive panels.
An obelisk is included as an alternative to the project, depending on the bids, said Etcheverry. The interpretive panels will either be secured to the front facing walls of the restroom or to the obelisk if it is included.
The Yomba tribe has requested one of the screen panels to represent Native American culture in the Austin and central Nevada area. The panel will not cost extra, said Etcheverry.
There will be four raised planter beds with perennials and shade trees. Hardy plants that will survive in Austin will be selected.
Construction of the visitor center is scheduled to take around four to six months.
"It is hoped that the project will, at this point, move along smoothly, according to the adjusted project timeline," said Etcheverry.
The total estimated budget of the project is $753,865, with 95 percent of those funds, roughly $716,422, coming from a grant through the Federal Highway Administration. The rest of the funding at $37,443 will come from the county and through NDOT's value in services provided.
So far, $158,000 has been spent on the project and $100,000 has been reimbursed to the county. A further reimbursement will be received shortly, said Etcheverry.
More funding was received to cover construction costs for the center. The project exceeded around $100,000 in construction costs and was approved for an extra $100,000 by the director of NDOT.
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