LAKE TAHOE, Nev. – Tahoe Transportation District (TTD), in partnership with the Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT), Tahoe Fund, Washoe County, Nevada Division of State Lands (NDSL), and other Corridor Management Plan (CMP) Partners, has announced the completion of the SR 28 North Parking Project. Also known as Phase 2 of the Tunnel Creek Parking Project, this marks another milestone in ongoing efforts to improve safety, access, and transportation options along Lake Tahoe’s East Shore.
The completed parking improvements support a broader regional strategy to address unsafe roadside parking, improve access to public lands and recreation areas, and create more opportunities for visitors to connect with transit and trail networks. The work is part of a coordinated, long-term approach to managing visitation and improving mobility along the SR 28 corridor while protecting the area’s environmental and scenic resources.
“Providing safe, organized parking is an important step toward improving the experience for residents and visitors while addressing longstanding safety challenges along the East Shore,” said Jim Marino, executive director of the Tahoe Transportation District. “By working with our regional partners, we are making progress toward a transportation system that better serves the community, improves safety and supports responsible access to Lake Tahoe’s public lands.”
The North Parking improvements build on the region’s ongoing investment in water quality improvements, safer access along SR 28, including a new transit stop, and the 90 parking spots located at the Tunnel Creek parking area. Together, these efforts support a more coordinated approach to parking management and recreation access, helping move visitors away from unsafe highway shoulders and toward designated parking facilities.
Over the next several years, the broader corridor strategy will continue to provide safe off-road parking alternatives, strengthen transit connections to popular national forest recreation destinations, improve pedestrian and trail access, and support implementation of regional transportation priorities identified in the Regional Transportation Plan. These improvements are intended to help manage peak visitation, improve circulation and reduce conflicts among motorists, cyclists and pedestrians.
SR 28 Corridor Improvements Advance with Progress on Spooner Mobility Hub
Construction is also progressing on a separate, related transportation hub and aquatic invasive species (AIS) watercraft inspection station across from the entrance to Spooner Lake State Park on national forest lands. Administered by NDOT, this two-season construction began in May 2026, with completion projected for fall 2027 and the facility anticipated to open in summer 2028.
When open, the transportation hub is expected to provide approximately 250 parking spaces, replacing unsafe shoulder parking along SR 28. The facility is also planned to support expanded seasonal transit service to East Shore recreation destinations, recreational access to Spooner Lake State Park and other public lands, and a potential future extension of the East Shore Trail. Infrastructure for planned electric vehicle charging and communication technology will further support transportation management and visitor access.
The facility will also house the Tahoe Basin’s first permanent aquatic invasive species watercraft inspection and decontamination station, replacing the existing temporary station near the U.S. 50 intersection. The station will help protect Lake Tahoe and other regional waters from aquatic invasive species.
The project is being developed in partnership with NDOT, TTD, the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA), the U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit and Nevada Division of State Parks and Lands. TTD is expected to operate and maintain the transit hub and parking facility, while TRPA will operate the watercraft inspection station, pending the applicable Forest Service special use permit.
To make it easier to explore the East Shore Trail and stay up to date on the many improvements underway, the Tahoe Fund worked with Design Workshop to create a new StoryMap. You can view the interactive StoryMap here. The StoryMap provides additional context on the corridor’s transportation challenges, planned improvements and long-term vision for safer, more connected access to Tahoe’s East Shore.
For details on Tahoe Transportation District and its current projects, visit www.TahoeTransportation.org.