Caltrans finishes $62M Lake Tahoe West Shore project on Hwy 89

Work to rebuild State Highway 89 along the West Shore of Lake Tahoe from Tahoma just north of Granlibakken Road in Tahoe City is now complete, Caltrans announced today. It also came in $8,000,000 under budget.

Construction on the project started in 2012 when a contractor for Southwest Gas began relocating gas lines that were in conflict with the new drainage systems to be built. That work was completed in 2014. Caltrans’ contractor, Road and Highway Builders, began drainage work in 2013 and started roadwork in 2014.

In addition to the new drainage systems to filter stormwater runoff, curbs and gutters were constructed along the eight-mile stretch of highway, shoulder widths were increased, new left-turn lanes were added and the highway was repaved and restriped.

“We want to thank residents, businesses and visitors for their patience during this process,” Caltrans District 3 Director Amarjeet S. Benipal said. “We realize it’s been difficult with travel delays and other inconveniences associated with construction, but this project will provide substantial benefits for many years to come.”

The $62.2 million project is part of Caltrans’ commitment to the Lake Tahoe Environmental Improvement Program (EIP). Launched in 1997, the EIP is a partnership of federal, state and local agencies, private interests, and the Washoe Tribe, created to protect and improve the natural and recreational resources of the Lake Tahoe Basin. The project also reflects Caltrans’ mission to “provide a safe, sustainable, integrated and efficient transportation system to enhance California’s economy and livability.”

Caltrans now has built 16 water-quality improvement projects on state highways in the Basin since the start of the EIP, including all of Highway 89 from Tahoe City to South Lake Tahoe. Its final EIP project is under construction on U.S. Highway 50 in South Lake Tahoe, with completion expected in 2019.