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Caltrans hosting meeting on upcoming projects in South Lake Tahoe area

The bridge at Echo Summit is slated to be replaced.
Jim Grant / Tahoe Daily Tribune

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. — This coming construction season is setting up to be busy one on the California side of South Shore.

In an effort to better inform the public, Caltrans is hosting a public open house April 24 to provide information regarding three impactful projects slated for this summer.

The meeting will take place at 5:30-7:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 24 at South Tahoe High School, 1735 Lake Tahoe Blvd., in the student union conference rooms.



Work is set to resume next week on the $57 million “Y” to Trout Creek Bridge project on U.S. 50 in South Lake Tahoe city limits. The project is in its third season of construction. Most of the work will take place between Silver Dollar Avenue and the Trout Creek Bridge and at the “Y” intersection. There will also be pavement work between Tahoe Keys Boulevard and Silver Dollar.

Caltrans also will be overseeing a $14.1 million project to replace the Echo Summit Sidehill Viaduct just east of Echo Summit.



Finally a $6.2 million project to convert the existing “T” intersection of U.S. 50 and California Route 89 in Meyers into a three-legged roundabout with a westbound bypass lane.

Caltrans will have information available on the projects and staff available to answer questions.

All three projects will be in construction May through Oct. 15, although they could be extended beyond that date depending on the weather.

The “Y” to Trout Creek Bridge project on U.S. 50 is Caltrans’ final project as part of the Lake Tahoe Environmental Improvement Program to collect and filter stormwater runoff before it enters the lake and Truckee River, according to Caltrans.

New curbs, gutters and sidewalks also are being built and the highway is being widened to include 6-foot shoulders on either side for bike lanes. Caltrans has constructed more than 20 water-quality improvement projects over the last decade on highways all around Lake Tahoe.

Motorists should anticipate lane closures, lane shifts and additional travel time through the work zone.

The existing Echo Summit bridge was built in 1939 and is showing wear and tear due to its age, use and weather, according to Caltrans. The bridge replacement project is scheduled for two construction seasons, with a full closure of U.S. 50 for up to 14 days anticipated in the spring of 2020 for bridge deck work. This season work will be done underneath the bridge to build the support structures.

The Meyers roundabout project is intended to reduce the number and severity of collisions. The project is expected to be completed this fall.

Motorists should anticipate lane shifts and intermittent one-way traffic control through the construction zones of the bridge and intersection projects, with delays of up to 20 minutes each.

For updates on all of Caltrans’ projects in the Tahoe Basin, visit TahoeRoads.com, follow @TahoeRoads on Twitter or “like” Tahoe Roads on Facebook. Businesses impacted by construction are encouraged to sign up for Tahoe Roads’ free “Open for Business” at http://www.tahoeroads.com/open-4-business/.


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