NDOT: Motorists should expect Memorial Day weekend travel delays along Highway 50 near Cave Rock
With road construction underway to enhance driver safety on U.S. 50 in Lake Tahoe’s Cave Rock area, the Nevada Department of Transportation reminds motorists to anticipate minor travel delays during holidays such as Memorial Day weekend and special events.
“We encourage everyone to visit and enjoy Lake Tahoe,” NDOT District Engineer Thor Dyson explained. “But, with many visitors traveling to Lake Tahoe for holidays such as Fourth of July, drivers should plan a little extra travel time for road improvements being made in the Cave Rock area.”
On U.S. 50 north of the Stateline casino district, NDOT is extending the westbound, lakeside Cave Rock tunnel entrance to enhance safety and reduce the potential of rock fall onto the roadway. Traffic is reduced to one lane in each direction through the eastbound Cave Rock tunnel, with 25-mile-per-hour speed limits.
While construction-related travel delays are minimal on average weekdays, travel times through the construction zone can increase during heavily-traveled event and holiday periods. Oversize and overdimensional semi-trucks are not permitted through the tunnel during construction.
The road improvements include construction of an approximately 60-foot long and 27-foot tall tunnel extension to enhance safety by catching rock fall before it reaches the roadway.
Lighting and white paint will be added inside each tunnel for better visibility and two new radar-activated overhead signs will be installed to automatically notify drivers of bicyclists or potentially icy conditions in the tunnels. Paving and water quality improvements will also be made.
During the winter of 2014-2015, heavy rains loosened boulders from the rock face above the Cave Rock tunnel, with some of the boulders reaching the roadway. Rock fall reduction and slope stabilization experts removed rock debris above the tunnel and a temporary netting was installed to help catch potential rockfall until the tunnel extension is fully constructed.
The tunnel extension will replicate natural colors, patterns and textures to match the existing rock face. Lighting and white paint will be added inside each tunnel for better visibility and two new radar-activated overhead signs will be installed to automatically notify drivers of bicyclists or potentially icy conditions in the tunnels.
U.S. 50 lanes through both tunnels and the roadway median between Cave Rock and the Cave Rock State Park boat launch entrance will also be paved. In addition, water quality improvements such as enhanced roadside drainage inlets and sediment filtration systems will be installed along U.S. 50 from one mile to four miles north of Cave Rock.
The approximately $6 million project by contractor Q&D Construction will continue through fall of 2016. Further project information is available at www.nevadadot.com/caverock or (775) 888-7000.
- Casino
- Colors
- construction
- d
- day
- driver
- drivers
- event
- events
- Fall
- fourth of july
- help
- highway
- holiday
- Holidays
- information
- July
- Lake
- Memorial
- Memorial Day
- Memorial Day Weekend
- natural
- NDOT
- Nevada
- Nevada Department of Transportation
- new
- News
- Q&D
- Q&D Construction
- Quality
- rock
- Safety
- special events
- state
- Stateline
- tahoe
- The Nevada Department of Transportation
- travel
- U
- water
- Water Quality
- Weekend
- White
- Winter
- Lake Tahoe
- Traffic