Then and now: Twin Bridges once a popular stop

Twin Bridges in the 1950s. Photo/Del Laine Collection, Lake Tahoe Historical Society

Twin Bridges on Highway 50 was a rest spot for many years, complete with a cocktail lounge. It was also on the annual wagon train route.

Twin Bridges in 2014. Photo/Google Earth

Wintertime travel could require chains on vehicles driving Highway 50, and Twin Bridges often was specified as a chains enforcement boundary, making it a popular stop for removing  or installing chains. Unlike Nevada which allowed chains or snow tires for winter driving, California at the time mandated chains only, no snow tires. As of May 1, 1990, the California Vehicle Code 27460 then included “…or snow tires.”

Perhaps related to the eased requirements, the historic commercial rest stop no longer exists at this site.

— Bill Kingman