Business View Civil Municipal June 2023

68 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 4, ISSUE 6 there’s still a lot of work left to be done.” Carlsbad’s proximity to federal land poses a unique challenge for the city’s growth, but Lowe says a collaboration with the Bureau of Land Management is aiming to address this issue. Other projects on the horizon include the construction of a new middle school in the city, and the addition of a performing arts center at the existing high school, ensuring opportunities for success for all of Carlsbad’s students. On the infrastructure side, Carlsbad, in partnership with Eddy County, is looking forward to the completion of a loop road that will redirect trucks away from the downtown area, providing a more efficient route for vehicles traveling through the region. This is a significant transportation project in the community, with the objectives of improving safety and reducing traffic congestion. “This will be particularly helpful for the areas where school zones have been impacted, but it will also stabilize the overall flow of traffic,” Lowe acknowledges. He shares that the completion of the Double Eagle Water System, a water treatment and distribution system which serves the city of Carlsbad and nearby rural communities, has been another important infrastructure improvement with a big impact for the community. “With the completion of phase three of this project, the city is now able to supply residents of Carlsbad with the secondary water system that encompasses two separate aquifers. This, of course, is essential in a desert community,” he remarks. Regarding the future direction of Carlsbad,