U.S. 50 near Cave Rock Update
While there is no estimated time of reopening the roadway, the Nevada Department of Transportation continues to make progress removing monolithic-size boulders which fell onto U.S. 50 north of the Cave Rock area of Lake Tahoe.
Throughout last week, boulders larger than passenger vehicles fell from a roadside slope onto eastbound travel lanes. No vehicles were involved in the slides, and no injuries were reported. The rock fall occurred near Logan Creek Drive north of Cave Rock.
On Monday, Feb. 13, NDOT and contractor Sierra Nevada Construction dislodged another large boulder from the roadside slope, bringing it crashing to the empty roadway.
Additional boulders remain at the top of the water-saturated roadside slope, and geotechnical and construction engineers are evaluating those additional rocks for potential of falling. To enhance traffic safety, NDOT and contractor Sierra Nevada Construction placed two rows of concrete barrier rail on the closed eastbound side of the roadway to help capture additional boulders before sliding into travel lanes. Large bags full of gravel will also be placed behind the barrier rail to help further diffuse and prevent rock fall onto travel lanes.
NDOT geotechnical and construction engineers and contract crews will continue to work diligently to remove rock and evaluate the destabilized roadway slope in an effort to reopen the roadway as soon as possible. No exact time of reopening is known, but when reopened, U.S. 50 will continue to be reduced to one lane in each direction in the Logan Creek Drive area.
Additional storms may also impact the ability to reopen and or keep the roadway open.
With traffic safety as top priority, NDOT has dedicated approximately $15 million to enhancing traffic safety by stabilizing roadside slopes to reduce rockslide and other erosion in U.S. 50 at Tahoe. The majority of U.S. 50 roadside slopes in the Glenbrook area have already been stabilized with rock fall netting or reinforced roadside slopes or have barrier rail/wall built at the bottom to contain and collect erosion-related rock fall. Last year, NDOT also extended the westbound, lakeside Cave Rock tunnel entrance.
The new approximately 60-foot long and 27-foot tall structure extends the previous tunnel to enhance safety by catching rock fall before it reaches the roadway.
As heavy precipitation continues across the region, NDOT reminds motorists of the increased likelihood of rockslides, mudslides and avalanches in mountainous areas. Drivers are reminded to always drive safely and watch the road ahead. Motorists can keep updated on state road conditions by logging onto nvroads.com or dialing 511 before driving.