department of transportation

With the heavy rain and high snow levels associated with an atmospheric river hitting the Sierra and Lake Tahoe this weekend, the City of South Lake Tahoe and El Dorado County are reminding citizens that sand bags are available, free of charge.

During wet storms, residents may find themselves with flooding issues around their homes and garages.

Sand bags are available year-round at the City’s Streets and Snow Removal Yard located at 1160 Rufus Allen Blvd. Their operating hours are Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Law enforcement is preparing for the annual New Year's Eve party held at Stateline, an outdoor that at one time saw 50,000 people in the streets.

Though Highway 50 through Stateline hasn't had to close until just before midnight the past two years, the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office (DCSO) is prepared to close it to vehicle traffic in the evening if necessary for public safety. If that should occur, vehicle traffic will be diverted around the Stateline casino core area using upper and lower Lake Parkway Drive.

Westbound commercial trucks are once again allowed on the State Route 431 Mt. Rose Highway now that the Nevada Department of Transportation has substantially completed a project to reconstruct the truck escape ramp.

Four Nevada residents are now the proud owners of iconic "Welcome to Nevada" signs, old and obsolete signs that have graced the state's highways for 25 years.

The Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) held a contest to find new owners, and nearly 14,500 residents entered the free raffle via phone, web site and social media, with winners selected randomly.

The four winners are from each region of the state: Northwest: Jennifer Bills (Reno), Southwest: Anna Thomas (from Minden), Northeast: Kaitlyn Tueller, Southeast: Breanna Kirkham.

Pedestrian and bicycle transportation and safety will be among the topics at the 14th annual Nevada Bicycle and Pedestrian Summit, scheduled for Nov. 9 and 10 at the MontBleu Resort Casino in Lake Tahoe.

Developed to augment statewide bicycle and pedestrian resources, the summit will provide the latest information on bicycle tourism, facility planning and design, safety, enforcement and education initiatives, as well as Safe Routes to School and complete streets program information and more.

All lanes of US 50 through the Cave Rock tunnel are now open to traffic, almost a month ahead of schedule on the $6 million traveler safety and roadside water quality project.

Since May, drivers have had to utilize a single lane of traffic in each direction through one side of the tunnel.

The contractor, Q&D Construction, will earn an extra $300,000 for completing early. Their contract gave them $15,000 for each day prior to the deadline they completed early, with a maximum of $300,000, which they earned.

A grinding and paving project on more than nine miles of U.S. Highway 50 in the Sierra started today, the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) announced.

The pavement rehabilitation project, designed to extend the life of the roadway and improve ride quality, is from Strawberry over Echo Summit to just west of Johnson Pass Road. Grinding and paving will take place around the clock Monday through 7 p.m. Thursday of this week and again Monday through Thursday of next week under one-way traffic control. Motorists should plan ahead and allow for additional travel time.

The Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) is inviting Nevada children in grades K-5 to enter their drawing contest about stormwater pollution prevention. They want to engage and inform the younger generation on this important topic.

Winners will become published artists, with the first place student’s artwork featured on the cover of the 2017 NDOT Stormwater Program brochure, and the second and third place students’ artwork featured inside of the brochure. All student artwork meeting contest requirements will be shared on the NDOT @loveNVwaters social media pages.

LAKE TAHOE, Nev. – Travelers going through the Cave Rock area of Lake Tahoe should anticipate minor delays as construction crews enter the final phase of construction on a $6 million safety project. There will be work zone traffic pattern changes as both lanes of the roadway are repaved, spraying of concrete continues as well as other final tasks. The project is expected to be completed by October.

The first phase of the Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) project along State Route 28 from Sand Harbor to Incline Village is now 25 percent completed.

Part of the completion includes a “shoofly,” a temporary lane detour around the existing road to keep traffic flow of one lane in each direction at Tunnel Creek

Upon completion the project will:

Include three plus miles of shared-use path from the south end of Incline Village to Sand Harbor
Relocate and also organize shoulder-parking areas near Ponderosa Ranch and Tunnel Creek Café

Construction and maintenance work will cause day and night time traffic delays along a 45-mile stretch of U.S. Highway 50 between Camino and Echo Summit over the next three months, the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) has announced.

Crews will be setting up lane restrictions on the four-lane section of U.S. 50 in the Camino area and one-way traffic control on the two-lane stretch of highway over the summit. Motorists can expect up to 20-minute delays. These lane restrictions will continue through the end of November, weather permitting.

Starting Monday, September 12, State Route 89 will be closed during the daytime hours of 4:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. for two weeks. The road will close just north of South Lake Tahoe from Cascade Creek Bridge to Bayview Campground and Inspiration Vista Point.

With road construction to enhance driver safety on U.S. 50 in Lake Tahoe’s Cave Rock area, the Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) is reminding motorists to anticipate minor travel delays during special events such as the American Century Championship golf tournament.

“We encourage everyone to visit and enjoy Lake Tahoe,” NDOT District Engineer Thor Dyson explained. “But, with many visitors traveling to Lake Tahoe, drivers should plan a little extra travel time for road improvements being made in the Cave Rock area.”

The Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority would like to thank the volunteers, businesses, spectators, sponsors, and partners who helped to make the 2016 AMGEN Tour of California a success for our community. We are grateful for your support and generosity!

Thousands of bicyclists will be sharing the highways around Lake Tahoe on Sunday and during practice rides on Saturday. Drivers on Highways 50, 89 and 28 will need to be aware of the extra activity on the road created by riders participating in the 25th America's Most Beautiful Bike ride, a 72-mile ride around the lake.

Motorists should keep in mind the Cave Rock area construction project as they plan their travel around Lake Tahoe not only over the Memorial Day weekend, but during all holidays and this summer. The Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) is reminding motorists to anticipate minor travel delays.

“We encourage everyone to visit and enjoy Lake Tahoe,” NDOT District Engineer Thor Dyson explained. “But, with many visitors traveling to Lake Tahoe for holidays such as Fourth of July, drivers should plan a little extra travel time for road improvements being made in the Cave Rock area.”

Another section of what is becoming the premier bikeway circling Lake Tahoe was dedicated in a ceremony behind Lakeside Inn on Wednesday. This new shared-use trail connects to Rabe Meadow with access to Nevada Beach and Round Hill Pines Resort.

"The TTD (Tahoe Transportation District) is pleased to have been part of this project," said Carl Hasty, District Manager of TTD. "Bike trails are thought of as a 'nice to do' project in many areas, but in Lake Tahoe they are important."

A project intended to increase public safety has begun on the north shore in Incline Village. The Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) has begun the project to enhance the State Route 431 Mt. Rose Highway truck escape ramp.

The 2016 construction season in the Tahoe Basin will get under way next week with work resuming on a multi-year State Highway 89 project, the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) announced today.

The $70.1 million water-quality improvement project is building new drainage facilities to collect and treat stormwater runoff, adding curbs and gutters, widening the highway and repaving an eight-mile section of Highway 89 between Tahoma and Tahoe City. Work this season will focus on the remaining four miles of the project between Eagle Rock and Granlibakken Road.

Construction details of this summer's project at Cave Rock will be revealed during a Lake Tahoe community meeting on Thursday, April 14 in the Zephyr Cove Elementary multipurpose room from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

The Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) is hosting the public meeting to tell residents about the project that will enhance traveler safety on U.S. 50 in the Cave Rock area.

On April 7 and April 20, officers from the South Lake Tahoe Police Department, El Dorado County Sheriff's Office and California Highway Patrol will be especially vigilant for distracted drivers on local roads as part of a joint effort across the state.

Although the officers' goals are not to write as many citations as possible, sometimes citations are necessary for drivers to understand the importance of focusing on their driving.

Distracted driving is such an important safety issue that April is recognized as National Distracted Driving Awareness Month.

New "Welcome to Nevada" signs designed by high school students will start appearing on the state's roads this summer.

In a contest presented by the Nevada Department of Tourism and Cultural Affairs, Governor Brian Sandoval’s office, the Department of Education and the Department of Transportation, high school student designers have been called upon to create the new signs.

Time is running out and all entries need to be submitted by March 25, 2016.

The Nevada Department of Transportation’s dedicated bridge inspection and rehabilitation program has helped Nevada bridges to be named the nation’s best for the second consecutive year.

A large boulder has rolled down onto Highway 50 on the Lake Tahoe east shore near Logan Creek, causing a dent in the road but no injuries.

The Nevada Highway Patrol was dispatched to the incident at 6:19 p.m. Saturday, February 20. Once there they found the boulder, it was reported to be eight feet across, blocking one lane north of the Cave Rock Tunnel in the westbound lane.

One passerby said the boulder was bigger than their Lincoln Navigator, at least six to seven tall.