State Route 28 in Lake Tahoe to receive $12.5 million in improvements

State Route 28 on the East Shore of Lake Tahoe from Incline Village to the intersection with Highway 50 is set to receive $12.5 million in improvements.

The Washoe County Commissioners approved a Federal Lands Access Program Memorandum of Agreement for federal funding for the design and construction of the improvements.

The funding will be targeted toward safety advances, expanded transportation options, an enhanced visitor experience, increased economic vitality and improved water clarity. (A recent study showed that 70 percent of the pollutants impacting Lake Tahoe’s clarity come from transportation systems and developed area run-off.)

“This is the single most significant project on the Nevada side of Lake Tahoe in decades,” said Marsha Berkbigler, Washoe County commissioner and Tahoe Transportation District board member.

The Federal Lands Access Program was established to improve transportation facilities that provide access to high-use Federal recreation sites. Lake Tahoe fits that criteria as 87 percent of the Basin watershed is under Federal control; it’s also the most heavily visited national forest in the United States.

The 11-mile, two-lane mountainside road serves the longest stretch of undeveloped shoreline in the Tahoe Basin and is the only access route for over one million recreational enthusiasts and 2.6 million vehicles per year. The lack of multi-modal transportation facilities along the corridor has created dangerous situations for residents and visitors trying to access recreational sites.

The project came about through an unprecedented response to safety and environmental concerns which prompted the Tahoe Transportation District to take the lead and partner with 12 agencies to develop the state Route 28 Corridor Management Plan.

According to Federal Highway Administration guidelines listed under Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century, or MAP-21, FLAP funds are specifically designed to fund projects on or near Federal lands that support state and local efforts related to public roads, transit systems and transportation facilities, especially on popular recreation sites with economic impact.

“This example proves beyond question the value of public/private funding,” said Carl Hasty, district manager, Tahoe Transportation District. “The leveraging of private support has been instrumental to securing Federal monies and serves as a model for future efforts. When we have skin in the game, it speaks volumes.”

The overall project funding is approximately $24 million with just over half from the FLAP program ($12.5 million); $2.3 million from Nevada Department of Transportation; $3.5 million from State of Nevada Question 1 – voter-approved funding for the Lake Tahoe Bike Path; $1 million from State Lands Tahoe Bond Act; $800,000 from The Tahoe Fund for the Lake Tahoe Bike Path; $2 million Federal Scenic Byways; $150,000 Federal Recreation Trails Program; $650,000 Federal Transportation Alternative Program; and $1,000,000 from Washoe County Tahoe Air Quality Mitigation funds and Washoe County Question 1 – voter-approved funding for the Lake Tahoe Bike Path.

State Route 28 segments in Washoe, Carson and Douglas counties will feature three miles of new off highway bike path from Lakeshore Drive to Sand Harbor, additional and improved East Shore Express transit stops, expanded off-highway parking, a park-n-ride lot near U.S. Highway 50, guardrail improvements, emergency pullouts, and environmental improvement projects such as storm water collection and filtration. Construction of these improvements will begin with the first mile of off highway bike path in summer 2015.

The multi-jurisdictional project partners include the Tahoe Transportation District (project lead), Federal Highway Administration (construction lead), Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, Nevada Department of Transportation, U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, Nevada Division of State Parks, Nevada Division of State Lands, Nevada Highway Patrol, Washoe County, Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California, Douglas County, Carson City, and Incline Village General Improvement District.