Kingsbury Grade Closes to Valley Traffic Thursday; Bus Ridership to be Monitored

May 1 is here, and than means road construction on Kingsbury Grade (State Route 207) which is closing off through traffic to the Carson Valley is also here.

Officially known as the "Nevada Department of Transportation’s Kingsbury Grade Pavement Reconstruction Project," the one to one-and-a-half year project will improve roadway drainage and stormwater runoff quality, improve poor sight-distance at Tramway Drive, increase pedestrian visibility with improved lighting, improve sidewalk, curb and gutter and American Disability Act compliance as well as putting in a 13-inch full-depth reconstruction of the road.

BlueGo Buses will be allowed to travel the whole length of the Grade and increased usage is expected. From input received at community meetings, the Tahoe Transportation District (TTD) will give buses more bike carrying capabilities.

The TTD will be monitoring ridership on the buses and scheduling them with a capacity to match demand. During the road closure prior to Memorial Day and after Labor Day, the South Shore Transit (BlueGo) will continue to offer travelers a convenient, affordable and direct route over Kingsbury Grade. TTD’s 20x route runs east and westbound over Kingsbury Grade daily and provides riders five departure times and nine stops (tahoetransportation.org/valleyandlake). A regional one-way fare is $4, 20-ride tickets are $60, and monthly (unlimited use) passes are $120 (tahoetransportation.org/bluegofares).

"Through community and business outreach we understand the potential increase in demand during this timeframe and will adjust accordingly," said Carl Hasty, district manager, Tahoe Transportation District. "Our hope is that residents and visitors alike have a positive experience utilizing public transportation."

There are rumors being circulated that residents in the Kingsbury Grade neighborhoods will have a special pass to travel on the Grade during May, and that all others will not be allowed to travel to the the top. This is not true: passes will be issued to one neighborhood that will be blocked off by construction. All drivers from the lake side will be able to travel to the Heavenly Valley area, Fox & Hound Restaurant and the Eagle's Nest, as well as to homes and timeshares in the area.

Here is the NDOT schedule between now and Memorial Day Weekend:
May 1 – May 23, 2014

Starting May 1, SR207 CLOSED to through traffic at the summit just east of Tramway. Cars traveling from Lake Tahoe to Carson Valley and vice versa will need to use US 50 as a detour. This will add on average less than 20 minutes of travel time each way.

Public transportation and all Lake Tahoe and Carson Valley business shuttles will have access of the summit to and from the Lake and Carson Valley.

Emergency vehicles and project coordinated public transportation will be allowed full access For Lake Tahoe basin residents, visitors, renters and businesses, the following access will be in effect:

*Local access will be available via US 50
*Residents and businesses will be able to access their homes and businesses via Kingsbury Grade throughout the project.
*Cars traveling from Lake Tahoe to Carson Valley and vice versa will need to use US 50 as a detour.
*24 hour work Sunday night through Saturday with single lane closures 24/7. Access between South Lake Tahoe/Stateline and the Carson Valley is available via US 50.
*Flaggers and a pilot car will be onsite to aid traffic flow
*Drainage Improvements throughout the project area
*Road Reconstruction- Majority of work will be focused from Pine Ridge Dr to Katherine Ct

Starting after Memorial Day Weekend, traffic will be allowed over Kingsbury Grade for the remainder of the summer. Road construction will take place from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. with single lane closures at night and intermittently during the day, and no construction or lane closures on weekends.

From Labor Day to mid-October the Grade will be closed again at the top so construction can ramp up again prior to winter.