The Nevada Transportation Board is reviewing four proposals for financing, designing, building and maintaining the Project Neon, a 3.7-mile project. The project  will be the largest job ever undertaken by the department.

The list of proposals for the US$1.3-1.5 billion project follows:

• Cintra Infraestructuras, S.A.
• Las Vegas Paving Corp. and Macquarie Capital Group
• Kiewit Development Co. and Meridiam Infrastructure
• ACS Infrastructure Development, Fengate Capital Management and Star America Fund GP

The timetable calls for evaluations of the bids to be completed next year and the transportation board to award the contract by November. Design and construction would start in 2015, with completion in 2019.

Cole Mortensen, Nevada Department of Transportation project manager, said on Monday that 71 % of the land required for the project has been acquired. The next step, Mortensen said, is seeking approval from the Legislative Interim Finance Committee for issuance of a $100 million bond to pay off property owners whose land is being acquired.

Nearly 250,000 vehicles a day use the 3.7-mile stretch from the US 95/I-15 interchange in downtown Las Vegas to Sahara Avenue.

The primary features of Project NEON's initial improvement will include building a one-mile high occupancy vehicle (HOV) bridge connecting I-15 to US 95, creating a new HOV interchange, reconstructing the Charleston/I-15 interchange and ramp braiding for the southbound movements.