Air quality issues close Bank of the West in South Lake Tahoe

8:00 p.m. update: Road construction on Highway 50 is what led to the closure of Bank of the West in South Lake Tahoe.

"Nearby construction resulted in an air quality issue at our South Tahoe Branch, which was quickly identified and is being remedied," Anita Fox, Senior Vice President of Public Relations and Corporate Communications for Bank of the West told South Tahoe Now this evening. "We anticipate re-opening the branch no later than Thursday."

In the meantime, those wishing to conduct in-branch transactions can visit the bank's Tahoe City Branch at 150 West Lake Boulevard.

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The Bank of the West branch in South Lake Tahoe is closed again Tuesday with the only warning being a note on the front door, "This Branch is Temporarily Closed Due to An Emergency."

What that emergency is isn't known by the dozens of customers attempting to use the bank's teller services Tuesday. And those dozens were just in 15 minutes at 2:00 p.m. August 1.

It also isn't known by neighboring branches.

An employee at the Carson City branch of Bank of the West told South Tahoe Now that it is a "maintenance issue" and that they weren't told the specifics. He also heard the bank may be open on Wednesday.

One customer using the ATM today said he found the branch open for a short time on Monday, but with one teller and over ten people in line. He left assuming he could use the branch later, but when he returned at 4:00 p.m. the bank was closed.

Many people were in the parking lot of the South Lake Tahoe branch Tuesday afternoon, venting their frustration at the inability to make deposits. One man said he will have checks bouncing if the deposit he dropped into the night box isn't recorded.

Calls into the corporate communications office were not returned and a call into the 800# takes one to North Dakota and they had no information. The local branch phone number just keeps ringing when called, with no message or ability to leave a message.

People making deposits in the South Lake Tahoe drop box will not see funds recorded until the branch opens. There are night drop boxes in Reno or branches in Carson City, Placerville and Tahoe City.

Federal banking regulations say a bank cannot be closed more than three days, so the local branch's opening for a short time Monday satisfied those requirements.