Highway 50 To South Lake Tahoe May Reopen Early
PLACERVILLE, Calif. (AP) -- State transportation crews may reopen a highway in the mountains leading to South Lake Tahoe early even though a snowstorm this week temporarily suspended repair work on the scenic stretch of Highway 50.
Caltrans says it is looking to get traffic flowing again over Echo Summit on Saturday, or four days ahead of the schedule the agency set when it closed Highway 50 between Phillips and Meyers on May 11 to repair the aging retaining walls that protect vehicles from the steep drop. Crews have been replacing the walls and raising them to 32 inches to accommodate larger trucks and cars.
A late season snowstorm on Monday briefly forced contractors to halt the work and to keep poured concrete warm with blankets.
Caltrans says more bad weather could delay officials' optimistic estimate for reopening the road. The agency will make a final determination on Saturday.
The repair work has required South Lake-bound motorists to take a 35-mile detour.
