Funding for complete streets project approved for Kahle Drive at Stateline

STATELINE, Nev. - Anyone who has driven on Kahle Drive at Stateline knows the condition of the road that was initially used to service the Sky Harbor Airport and Casino in the 1940s. The current water-filled potholes are very large, and drivers are seen dodging the holes, resulting in an unsafe pedestrian area, as well as unsafe for vehicles.

Relief is on the way as funding for the Kahle Drive Complete Streets Project was unanimously approved by the Douglas County Board of Commissioners on Thursday.

Not only will the complete street project bring safer mobility to the .5-mile stretch, but it will also improve water quality and provide better drainage. Kahle Drive has the poorest PCI (pavement condition index) in Lake Tahoe Basin and drainage and stormwater treatment are outdated.

The Kahle Drive project's goals were presented to the commissioner by Meghan Kelly, district manager of the Nevada Tahoe Conservation District (NTCD):

1. Increase safe multi-modal transportation options for pedestrians and cyclists;
2. Improve public safety by bringing the road up to County standards;
3. Correct drainage issues along Kahle Drive that are responsible for the degradation of the road, reduced stormwater capture and treatment, and public safety hazards;
4. Improve riparian and Lake Tahoe health by disconnecting urban runoff;
5. Reduce the potential for catastrophic wildfire by undergrounding overhead power and improving the water supply;
6. Improve the viewshed and appearance at the gateway to the South Shore of Lake Tahoe;
7. Improve access to adjacent USFS and Douglas County recreational lands; and
8. Improve communication and economic potential by installing broadband.

The project has been led by NTCD.

The crumbling asphalt continually clogs drains on the road, leading to ground particles ending up in Lake Tahoe, said Kelly. When completed she said the multiple goals of the Kahle Drive project include improvements in public safety, multi-modal transportation, access to recreation lands, reducing fire risks, and improving the appearance at the gateway to the South Shore of Lake Tahoe.

The $3.9M project has been in the works since 2014 and has received funding from other sources including NV Energy, Southwest Gas, Nevada State Lands, and Oliver and Kingsbury GIDs. With a "dig once" policy, the gas and power lines will be updated and everything will be undergrounded. Barton Health is also a partner with their new campus going in adjacent to Kahle Drive, as is the Tahoe Beach Club at the end of the road.

The commissioners approved $1.385M towards the project which will come from the Tahoe Douglas Transportation Fund which is funded by VHR and hotel room night taxes at Lake Tahoe. It has an estimated fund balance of $2.847M in unallocated funds.

The most critical goals for Douglas County are the addressing of significant drainage issues and needed stormwater improvements.

TMDL (Total Maximum Daily Load) mandates jurisdictions around Lake Tahoe to reduce the input of fine sediment and nutrients to Lake Tahoe. The Kahle project will earn Douglas County 70 Lake Clarity Credits of their goal of 168 credits by 2026.

There is $1.385M of Community Project Funding pending in FY23 House Transportation Appropriations bill, which was led by Congressman Amodei and supported by Senators Cortez Masto and Rosen of Nevada.

The timeline:
Final Design Plans – December 2022 or Jan 2023
Bid Project – no later than March 10, 2023
Construct Project May 2023-October 2023
Finalize Project December 2024 per match funding