Millions spent on highway improvements in the Lake Tahoe basin

With the onset of winter weather, all construction activity has concluded for the season on state highways in the Lake Tahoe Basin, but significant upgrades have been completed.

Four separate projects on Highway 89 were under construction this season as part of the multi-agency Lake Tahoe Environmental Improvement Program (EIP), which was formed in 1997 to help protect and preserve the lake’s world-famous clarity. The work along the West Shore included building new drainage facilities to improve lake clarity, installing curb, gutter and sidewalks in some locations, constructing rock walls and rock slope protection for erosion control, repaving the roadway and widening it in some sections.

A seven-mile stretch from Meeks Bay to just north of Emerald Bay was completed this year and a two-mile section from Meeks Bay to Wilson Avenue in Tahoma was constructed. The latter project ties into ongoing work from Tahoma to Tahoe City, where about four miles of the eight-mile project has been built.

On the south side of Highway 89, work began this season on an EIP project from the “Y” intersection in South Lake Tahoe through Camp Richardson to Cascade Road. About 50 percent of the project has been completed.

In addition to the EIP projects, pavement rehabilitation projects were completed on sections of Highways 267 and 28.

Caltrans has committed to building 22 projects valued at $530 million to the Lake Tahoe Basin dating back to 2003 and extending through 2020.

For more information on all of Caltrans' EIP projects in the Basin, visit www.TahoeRoads.com.