Highway 50 on California side of Sierra reopens with traffic controls
Caltrans reopened U.S. Highway 50 at 9:08 a.m. Friday morning after a mudslide temporarily forced a full closure of the road Thursday. One way traffic control is in effect at Alder Creek between White Hall and Kyburz. This is a two-lane section of the highway currently separated by temporary concrete barriers. The westbound lane is closed for approximately a half mile and traffic is being controlled by flaggers under reversing one-way controls, according to Caltrans officials.
“Our melting runoff, while creating spectacular waterfalls this spring, has also provided some challenges,” said Carol Chaplin, president and CEO of the Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority. “Caltrans has done a tremendous job keeping our roads open and safe for travelers coming to the South Shore. We recommend visitors focus on getting here early and consider traveling during nonpeak hours to avoid congestion.”
LTVA also recommends the following alternative routes:
From Sacramento/Northern California take I-80 E to CA-89 S (Emerald Bay Road) to South Lake Tahoe
From Sacramento/Northern California take CA-16 E to CA-49 N to CA-88 E past Kirkwood to CA 89 N into South Lake Tahoe
Motorists can check conditions with Caltrans www.dot.ca.gov and Nevada Department of Transportation http://nvroads.com for current conditions, including temporary closures. For updates on conditions and estimated drive time status text ‘TahoeRoads’ to 99000. For real-time traffic information and to map your location, the QuickMap App from CalTrans is available for download. Keep in mind that GPS and maps applications on mobile devices may not be updated so monitor updates directly from the source.