Full daytime closure of State Route 89 near Emerald Bay starts Monday

Starting Monday, September 12, State Route 89 will be closed during the daytime hours of 4:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. for two weeks. The road will close just north of South Lake Tahoe from Cascade Creek Bridge to Bayview Campground and Inspiration Vista Point.

The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) will perform a full roadway closure as [art of the $13 million Emerald Bay water quality improvement project. The closure is for one portion of the project’s cold planning and hot mix asphalt paving work located on a ridge with steep slopes on either side of the roadway immediately adjacent to paved surfacing with steep mountainous terrain and tight switchbacks. In this portion of the project, the paving operations would not be possible with conventional reversing traffic control as larger construction equipment and public vehicles would not physically be able to pass each other. The work is subject to changes due to weather or unexpected events.

The full roadway closure starts September 12 at 4 a.m. and goes until Friday, September 16, at 4 p.m., then again from Monday, September 19, at 4 a.m. through Friday, September 23, at 4 p.m. During the closure traffic will be allowed to travel through the work zone between 4 p.m. to 4 a.m. Tuesday afternoon through Friday morning. There will be no closure during the weekend from 4 p.m. Friday to 4 a.m. Monday.

During the time of the full closure, traffic will be detoured to the north and the east side of the lake going into the Nevada. From the north side of the project the detour will take Highway 89 to Tahoe City, then take Highway 28 along the north and east sides of the lake to U.S. Highway 50 South at Spooner Junction to Highway 89 North at South Lake Tahoe. From the south side of the project, traffic will be detoured the opposite direction: Highway 89 south to U.S. 50 north to Highway 28 south and to Highway 89 south.

The traveling public will be able to access site seeing locations: Vikingsholm, Inspiration Point – Bay View Trail. Expect delays due to One-way traffic control From Inspiration Point to Upper Emerald Bay Road from September 11 through September 23 due to grinding and paving work.