Ceremony to celebrate completion of new SR 89 realignment and bridge project in Tahoe City

TAHOE CITY, Calif. – A ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held on Monday, December 16 to celebrate the opening of the State Route 89 realignment, including the new Truckee River Bridge in Tahoe City.

Attendee parking will be located at the Tahoe City Transit Center along West Lake Blvd. The public should plan to arrive by 9:45 a.m. to park and walk to the ceremony location, which starts at 10:00 a.m. The bridge will be closed for the event.

“The completion of this project phase brings us all the more closer to fulfilling a significant transportation improvement for one of Tahoe's main gateways. The entire project is a major improvement for travel safety, enhanced pedestrian, bike, transit access, and environmental quality," said Carl Hasty, district manager, Tahoe Transportation District. “This project is another example of what can be achieved with multi-agency collaboration and extensive public engagement.”

Since 2011 TTD has administered a public outreach campaign focused on collaboratively working with Tahoe City residents, local agencies/organizations along with business and property owners/managers to receive public input to help create a final project design. Efforts also included the project being awarded funding from the Federal Lands Access Program (FLAP) in 2013. In 2015, environmental documents were certified, and a preferred project alternative was selected.

Led by Federal Highway Administration, Office of Federal Lands Highway, Central Federal Lands Highway Division (CFLHD), the project incorporates safety improvements for all modes of transportation and includes a new .25 mile-long segment of State Route 89 with a new 153-foot bridge crossing over the Truckee River.

Roundabouts were constructed on the south end of the realignment next to the Tahoe City Transit Center and another roundabout on the north end near the Caltrans Maintenance Station, allowing an additional entry/exit route for Lake Tahoe’s west shore. Improvements are consistent with the project goals identified in Tahoe City Community Plans including constructing two ingresses and egresses to and from Lake Tahoe’s west shore which offer additional safety routes crossing the Truckee River along with enhancing pedestrian and cyclist safety and connectivity.

The project is funded through the Federal Lands Access Program (FLAP) and local agency match funding. In addition to a new state route alignment, the project includes water-quality improvements, paved shared-use bike paths, rockery walls, signing, striping, lighting, new sewer and gas lines, Tahoe City “gateway” signs, and landscaping with new trees and pollinator-friendly plants.

“I am delighted to be a part of this celebration,” said District 5 Placer County Supervisor Cindy Gustafson. “The realignment of State Route 89 will greatly contribute to our region’s larger efforts to alleviate traffic and reduce congestion in and around the basin. When you look at the investment that we’ve made in Tahoe City and throughout the entire region, it is clear that we've made progress. This project shows how regional solutions and investing in our local partnerships will help the county continue to address the region’s transportation needs.”

The Project Delivery Team is comprised of representatives from the Tahoe Transportation District, Federal Highway Administration, Office of Federal Lands, Central Federal Lands Highway Division (CFHLD), Placer County, Caltrans, United States Forest Service, the Tahoe City Public Utility District and the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, all who will be on hand for the ceremony.