Claim challenges funding source for Hwy. 89 work

While the goal is to break ground this summer on the Fanny Bridge-Highway 89 realignment in Tahoe City, the project still has not gone out to bid. That may not happen until later this month.

In the mean time the state Attorney General’s Office is reviewing a claim filed by Tahoe City resident Jim Sajdak regarding the multimillion-dollar project.

The project would take Highway 89 on the North Shore through 64 acres of forest and turn the bridge into a regular road to be maintained by Placer County. They goal is to eliminate backup at the Y and ease congestion.

A roundabout is slated to be built at the Y, plus two others at key locations.

The Tahoe Transportation District is the lead agency.

“I have filed a claim to the California Attorney General’s Office which states that the funding application filed by the TTD to the California Transportation Commission contains numerous amounts of falsified information to gain state funding in the amount of $4.9 million,” Sajdak said. “The California Attorney General’s Office is currently reviewing the information provided under the California False Claims Act which states that it is a felony to obtain state funding based on falsified information.”

— Lake Tahoe News staff report