Construction temporarily stopped on South Lake Tahoe Greenway trail due to material delay

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Work had been underway on two phases of the 3.86-mile long South Tahoe Greenway Shared-Use Trail but activity has come to a temporary halt due to material issues.

COVID-19 resulted in delayed delivery of materials for the precast concrete boardwalk system needed on the trail. The Houston, Texas concrete plant contracted for the project has been directly impacted.

The new trail will connect Sierra Boulevard in the Tahoe Sierra neighborhood to the Van Sickle Bi-State Park near Stateline.

"The project is currently suspended pending information from the manufacturer," said El Dorado County Senior Civil Engineer Donald Palaroan.

A bridge over Trout Creek was installed on July 17 but will not be open until the project is complete. One portion of the trail, Barbara Avenue to Martin Avenue is close to completion but final work on that has been suspended as well until crews can return with the concrete.

Palaroan said they continue to be optimistic the project will be completed by this fall.

The project was approved in 2011 and 2016 and will provide users with a safe way to travel by non-motorized means off of the highway through the heart of South Lake Tahoe. The whole length will include neighborhood connectors and the ability to join the popular trail from the Y to past Baldwin Beach.

Phase 1b and 2 of the Greenway are scheduled for completion this year, 2020. El Dorado County is in charge of this portion along with the California Tahoe Conservancy (CTC). The County has hired a contractor who is already working on the project along Barbara Avenue and Bijou Community Park.

A portion of Barbara Avenue remains closed for a construction staging area and plans to be closed until the end of the 2020 building season on October 15.

$5,899,000 has been budgeted for these two new phases and is funded by grants including Caltrans via an Active Transportation Grant and the CTC.

To complete the Greenway, future phases will include Phases 1c, 3, and several neighborhood connectors. Future projects could extend the Greenway to Meyers. Plans and funding are still in the works.