Lane closures over Spooner Summit for NDOT roadside drainage project

Submitted by paula on Tue, 07/28/2020 - 9:36am

Single lane closures will take place on U.S. 50 between Carson City and Spooner Summit beginning July 30 as the Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) wraps up a project to reduce roadside erosion and help preserve water quality.

Between July 30 and Aug. 7, drivers will see single lane closures from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. weekdays on both directions of U.S. 50 in areas between Tahoe Golf Club Drive and Spooner Summit.

Travel delays of up to 30 minutes should be anticipated, with most delays averaging under 10 minutes. Motorists are asked to drive at posted construction speed limits, or slower as necessary for conditions. Drivers should also anticipate and share the road with bicyclists in designated travel lanes.

The two-year road improvement project began in 2019, with a seasonal hiatus winter through early summer. The lane closures will allow crews to complete the project with final drainage work and installation of new reflective roadway markings.

Aging culverts and drop inlets have been improved and replaced, and new storm drain systems installed to help improve roadway safety against flooding and reduce erosion in downstream drainages. The project also adds enhanced water quality treatments before roadway drainage enters Clear Creek. Additionally, sections of existing guardrail were replaced with concrete barrier rail to improve highway safety and reduce maintenance costs.

Most of the drainage systems were originally constructed when the highway was built more than 50 years ago. The drainage systems carry storm water into the Clear Creek Watershed on the south side of U.S. 50. The approximately $8 million project by contractor Granite Construction Company is one part of the Clear Creek Erosion Control Program, a cooperative initiative to reduce erosion and preserve water quality in the upper Clear Creek Watershed.

NDOT uses best management practices to minimize potential water quality impacts that could result from the construction and maintenance of state highways. NDOT projects in Carson City and Lake Tahoe have received awards from the American Public Works Association for their commitment to environmental improvement.

- Nevada Department of Transportation News Release