Construction resumes on Incline Village to Sand Harbor shared use trail

Beginning May 1, single lane closures will take place on State Route 28 south of Incline Village as the Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) launches the second season of shared-use path construction and highway safety, accessibility and water quality enhancements.

This season, construction will start on the pathway and retaining walls, and roadside water quality and erosion control improvements will be built to help preserve the quality of stormwater entering Lake Tahoe. Beginning May 1 through late fall, daytime single lane closures will take place on State Route 28 from the southern end of Incline Village to three miles south of Sand Harbor State Park for construction of the shared use path and water quality improvements. Nighttime single lane closures are planned between Hidden Beach to three miles south of Sand Harbor State Park for construction of water quality and traffic safety improvements. Most of the lane closures will take place Sunday night through Friday at noon, although weekend closures may occur during off-peak season. Motorists should anticipate 20 to 30-minute travel delays.

Additional construction-related closures and tips include:

• Short-duration full road closures may periodically take place during off peak season (May through early-June; late-August/early Sept. through Oct. 15). Advance notice will be provided so motorists can plan accordingly.
• The Memorial Point roadside parking lot and restroom will be closed for the season for construction staging.
• Beach and trail access between Lakeshore Boulevard and Sand Harbor State Park may be limited or closed during construction. For safety, travelers are encouraged not to access beaches or trails through the construction zones.
• Roadside parking from Ponderosa Ranch Road to approximately three-plus miles south of Sand Harbor State Park will not be allowed during construction. Officials encourage travelers to pay special attention to no parking/tow-away zones throughout the project area as towing will be enforced in no parking zones.
• With potential travel delays, vehicle owners are encouraged to be aware of vehicle fuel and/or electric charge range and utilize available fueling/charging stations before traveling through road work zones.

Begun last year, the multi-year project will build a three-plus mile shared-use path from the southern end of Incline Village to Sand Harbor State Park. Last year, crews excavated approximately 10,000 cubic yards of material, including relocating IVGID sewer mains and constructing an underpass beneath State Route 28 to bring the future shared use path from the east to west side of the road near the Flume Trail. Work also began on three new parking areas located near the Ponderosa Ranch and Tunnel Creek Café to provide safer parking options for the one million recreationists who visit the area each year.

The additional pathway and parking areas will enhance safety and mobility for everyone on the roadway. More than two and a half million vehicles a year travel on State Route 28, mixing with as many as 2,000 pedestrian and bicyclists who park and recreate near the roadside on peak days and creating safety and accessibility concerns on the mountainous highway.

The project by contractor Granite Construction is anticipated to complete as early as the end of 2018, but may extend into 2019 depending on future weather impacts.