SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – Contractors with the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) have been working along US50 (Lake Tahoe Blvd.) this summer as part of a two-year lighting and safety improvement project between the “Y” and Pioneer Trail. Conduit was installed, but part of the project has stalled due to supplies.

The lighting along US50 will most likely go up in Spring 2026 since the custom dark-sky lighting luminaires have not yet been delivered. A CalTrans spokesperson said if there are some warm, dry days over the winter, they could be installed earlier.

The pedestrian hybrid beacons (PHBs) for four crosswalks and the signal poles at US50/Johnson Blvd. are scheduled to be installed in late September into October.

PHBs are going in at the following South Lake Tahoe locations:

  • US 50 at South Tahoe Middle School
  • US 50 between Herbert Avenue and Ski Run Boulevard near Whole Foods
  • US 50 between Winnemucca Avenue and River Drive near Grocery Outlet

The intersection of Johnson Boulevard and US 50 in front of Safeway will be signalized, and the roadway will be restriped. This brings a third stoplight in a short distance, but there are many crashes in the area, along with fatalities. The poles will go up in late September and into October. They will take a couple of weeks to become activated.

The green bike lane treatment has been started along the entire project distance between the “Y” and Pioneer Trail along Lake Tahoe Blvd. This will enhance safety for pedestrians and bicyclists.

Rounding out its 2025 project list is an upgraded vehicle detection at the Tahoe Y signal.

The project was proposed on January 22, 2021, and is funded by $1.68 million in State funds and $15.12 in Federal funding.

The next big Caltrans project in South Lake Tahoe will be a road improvement project over 12.5 lane miles of existing pavement on Highway 50 from the Trout Creek bridge to the Nevada state line. It will be ground, paved, and restriped along with the replacement or rehabilitation of 29 culverts. It will also add one Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV), one Variable Message Sign (VMS), and a census station that consists of one CCTV and four Microwave Vehicle Detection Systems. The project will replace 65 existing nonstandard curb ramps with new curb ramps and upgrade sidewalks to comply with current ADA standards. This project is slated for Spring 2027.