NDOT to finish up U.S. 50 Roadside Slope Stabilization Project at Tahoe this week
Submitted by editor on Wed, 08/15/2018 - 9:18am
CARSON CITY — The Nevada Department of Transportation has substantially completed a project to stabilize a roadside slope on U.S. 50 near Cave Rock at Lake Tahoe.
Lane reductions previously in place on U.S. 50 are scheduled to be removed by the end of the week, but motorists should anticipate intermittent roadway shoulder and lane closures over coming weeks for final construction clean up.
In the winter of 2016-2017, numerous boulders the size of large passenger vehicles fell from a roadside slope onto eastbound travel lanes of U.S. 50 near Logan Creek Drive north of Cave Rock. Last summer, NDOT began construction of a roadside wall to reinforce and encase the approximately 60-foot high slope and help prevent future erosion.
Anchor bars were drilled into the slope to secure heavy-duty mesh. The mesh was then covered with more than 1,000 yards of thick sprayable “shotcrete” concrete to create what is called a soil nail wall. A final aesthetic layer of concrete was hand-sculpted to match colors and textures of nearby natural roadside slopes, and final roadway surface and curbing repairs made.
Now substantially completed, the approximately $5 million project by contractor Road and Highway Builders enhances safety for the more than 13,000 motorists who drive the road daily.
With traffic safety as top priority, NDOT has dedicated approximately $15 million over past years 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.
NDOT also extended the westbound, lakeside Cave Rock tunnel entrance to enhance safety by catching rock fall before it reaches the roadway.
