Mayor Oscar B. Goodman, Councilman Gary Reese and other city of Las Vegas officials will celebrate the opening of the Public Works Department’s Traffic Signal Shop with a ribbon cutting ceremony at 7 a.m. on Monday, Oct. 22. The new $2.7 million facility is located at 2824 E. Charleston Blvd.

“The original building was constructed as a fire station some 40 years ago,” Mayor Goodman said. “This new shop was designed specifically with the work of traffic employees in mind, and that will help them to better serve the needs of our fast growing community.”

The 14-member traffic signal shop crew and their supervisor are responsible for the day-to-day maintenance, repair and inspection of the traffic signal circuitry and computer components that are inside traffic signal cabinets. These are the big white metal boxes located near every signalized intersection, and there are approximately 500 of them throughout city limits. The crew also responds to emergencies such as traffic signal power outages due to accidents and weather. The shop is staffed seven days a week, 24 hours a day.

“The new shop is a great addition to the area and the importance of the work done here cannot be stressed enough,” said Councilman Reese, who represents Ward 3 where the new shop is located. “These workers focus directly on the public’s safety and now they have additional space to meet the demands of their jobs.”

The new traffic signal shop encompasses 6,740 square-feet, and includes a new repair bay, signal component and circuitry workshop, office space and conference rooms. A new parking lot was built and water efficient landscaping was installed. Skylights provide natural lighting to reduce energy costs and security fencing and cameras have also been installed.

Cobblestone Construction was the contractor for the project, and project management was provided by Public Works Department staff.