What happens in Vegas…should be shared!

Las Vegas, Nevada, and the middle of a pandemic may seem like unlikely components of a “success story.” However, Metcalf managed to combine the two, while helping a client get closer to their eventual goal – a new pedestrian and bike path that safely connects the City of Las Vegas to a beloved tourist destination: Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area.

New challenges

The archaeological survey had originally been scheduled for March, but was put on hold as travel restrictions and safety concerns limited the reach of many businesses. By early May, Metcalf staff started researching ways to make the project happen, safely, to avoid expensive delays for its client. These challenges created new complexities for the team.

While archaeology may appear to be the ideal “social distancing” activity – outdoors, covering a large area – the logistics of traveling remained. The team of four crossed state lines and traveled through numerous counties, with different ordinances and restrictions, to access the area.

They also had to figure out strategies for keeping staff, project partners, and the local community safe, including finding lodging in the area and minimizing their interactions with locals. And they had to find new ways to work to ensure safe social distancing and to minimize the sharing of equipment in the field.

“We limited ourselves to one in-person meeting, with the BLM archaeologist for the initiation of the survey work,” says Kim Kintz, principal investigator for the survey. “We met outdoors, on location, with proper social distancing to discuss final project details and any wildlife or general safety concerns.”

From Las Vegas, safely

The project will eventually result in the development of a 5.5-mile bike and pedestrian path connecting the City of Las Vegas to the popular and scenic conservation area, but also includes important amenities such as parking areas and a safe place to pull over for an obligatory photo with the park sign. The non-profit Save Red Rock received both federal and local funding and support for the project.

For Metcalf, the Las Vegas project distinguishes itself not only as one that required unusual ingenuity to get results for its client and project and agency partners; it was also the company’s first project ever in Nevada. But – to freely modify the saying – what happens in Las Vegas, may happen again.