Major Caltrans project begins in South Lake Tahoe next Spring

The utility relocation work on Highway 50 through South Lake Tahoe the past two years has made way for a major, three-year long Caltrans project that will get underway next Spring.

The project, which is currently out for bid, will be starting in 2017 and will have crews working along U.S. Highway 50 from the "Y" intersection with State Highway 89 to the Trout Creek Bridge once again.

Besides creating six-foot shoulders for bike lanes, Caltrans will replace traffic signals, replace curb, gutter and sidewalks, and improve pavement cross slope. They are also working with the City of South Lake Tahoe to incorporate improvements at the Sierra Boulevard intersection that will include a new signal and added left turn lane.

Caltrans held poorly attended public informational meetings in 2015 and aren't planning any new ones until just prior to the beginning of construction when they'll discuss traffic handling and construction work windows.

The budget for the project that will collect and treat stormwater runoff as part of the Lake Tahoe Environmental Improvement Program (EIP) is $56,700,000.

Overlapping the Y to Trout Creek Bridge Highway 50 project will be the replacing of the Echo Summit bridges. According to Steve Nelson of Caltrans, it is on track to start in Spring 2019 and finish in Fall 2020.

The $9 million project’s draft environmental document is currently circulating and comment cards will be available.

There will be a public meeting on the bridge project on Thursday, October 20 in South Lake Tahoe City Council chambers at the Lake Tahoe Airport from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. The staging plan won’t be finalized until after the contract is awarded and the contractor has input. The impact to business in South Lake Tahoe during the heavy summer tourism season could be huge.

In addition, there will be an opportunity to provide comments and ask questions about the Meyers Intersection Improvement Project. The $3 million project proposes to convert the intersection of Highways 50 and 89 into a three-legged roundabout.