South Shore highways to be a mess in 2011
By Kathryn Reed
Improvements to Highway 89 (aka Luther Pass) won’t be done this building season as planned, and will instead require two months of work in 2011.
However, with Echo Summit slated to be closed part of the spring while the retaining wall is overhauled, officials aren’t sure when the work on Highway 89 will be done because that is one of the alternate routes for Highway 50.
Improvements to Highway 89 in Meyers will be done in 2011. Photo/Kathryn Reed
Replacing the rock wall on Highway 50 coming into the Lake Tahoe Basin has been on the books for a while. With a coordinated effort under way to ensure traffic still flows into the South Shore, Caltrans officials don’t want to impede that process with delays on another highway.
Echo Summit will be closed for 14 days. This will be in May 2011, unless work can start earlier. It will be followed by 20-30 days of controlled traffic except for Friday afternoons when it will be open in both directions. It will be wide-open Memorial Day weekend, too.
Click on Echo FAQ for some answers to the project provided by Caltrans.
The Highway 89 project is a water quality project – meaning shoring up erosion concerns, putting in curbs and gutters.
The 2.2 miles of roadway on 89 from the junction of 50 will have a 4-foot shoulder for cyclists. Beyond that road bike riders are still in for a bit of a harrowing experience being so close to vehicles.
Mike Cook, Caltrans project manager for the basin, said intentions are the asphalt will be smooth to the curb and gutter so the surface is safe for cyclists.
All the grates are designed to be bicycle proof, meaning a front wheel won’t get lodged in it and send the rider flying over the handlebars.
At this point it’s anyone’s guess how all the roadwork is factoring into Amgen’s decision to bring the Tour of California bike ride to Tahoe. That decision is expected any day.
All that curb and gutter being pumped straight into the Truckee River. Another water quality degadation project. The USFS is killing all the fish and Cal Trans is ruining the water. Double Wammy… Bummer for Lake Tahoe…
It’s very disappointing that this road project doesn’t include a reasonable shoulder for bicycles. This represents failures from Caltrans, the County, and the TRPA. This project was a lost opportunity to improve our infrastructure, while supporting and add some basic safety to the recreation that is already occurring here.
EW, what makes you think the water is going straight into the Lake? I ask because I checked and it isn’t. The water into those drop inlets is being dispersed in the forest and filtered through the ground. Where did you get your information?
Jeff you could be right over in that area, but over in the Rocky Point area, where they build the curb & gutters, they work to the point of all the water continuing down to Pioneer trail,they build multiple ponds but 70% of the time they are clogged with debris.
Whose responsible for keeping these collectors open?
The drains are marked for the city plow guys, but even they have hard time clearing in the winter because it’s on the corner curb,it’s a difficult area to clear.
I took pictures show them to some the trpa and v.c. construction,they did improve the new one the next year but left the faulty one there without modification.
The reality of all this erosion control is that they need someone to monitor and keep these drains,street collectors open,plus they need someone besides Clean Tahoe to keep the crap people dump (old bike frames,chairs,computers) you name it I’ve seen it.It’s a shame people do this.
Jeff.. Curb and Gutter increases the amount of water and the flow rate. There will be so much more water now than ever before and those areas that normally filtered off the side of road will be conveyed and concentrated. Where did I get my information?? Its just fact.. Hydrology 101… The hwy up Luther is right near many water bodies including the Truckee and I know that area very well. They connected previously disconnected flows. h – I think your right, but know that there is so much infrastructure to maintain it starts with crisis management then goes to maintenance. Those Rocky point basins look great. Now your talking water quality projects that save the lake.. We need more of those.. TRPA aint gonna help with that… Infiltration is volume reduction, which in turn is pollutant reduction. Maintenance will continue to be an issue with all this stuff and meanwhile our roads are falling apart. What a nightmare… And my reference to the fish in the Truckee from Chrsitmas Valley to grass lake.. Check out the USFS website. They are killing thousands of fish to restore a dying species mother nature didnt want anymore. Taking fish born in the Truckee (browns rainbows), killing them and reintroducing a engineering cutthroat bred in a farm. There is nothing natural about playing god with mother nature.. Also, this Trans projects was ARRA funded, which means they needed to construct it quick and we know the County and TRPA dont operate quick, which pretty much ended the opportunity for bike trails and rec improvements.