UPDATE - APRIL 21, 2026:
NDOT is preparing to launch the second and final season of its two-year U.S. 50 repaving project at Lake Tahoe on April 27, extending work from Spooner Summit to the Nevada-California border at Stateline.
This phase will focus on paving the remaining sections of highway and finishing roadside curb and gutter work, drainage improvements and barrier and guardrail upgrades.
Drivers traveling through the area will see single lane closures Sunday at 8 p.m. through Friday at noon on sections of U.S. 50 from just south of Cave Rock to the Spooner Summit trailhead.
Additional intermittent lane reductions are also expected on Friday afternoons in May and September and October.
A one-mile segment from Round Hill to Zephyr Cove that was not paved last season will also be completed this year. At least one lane in each direction will remain open at all times, speeds will be reduced to 35 mph through work zones, and drivers should expect moderate delays.
Lane reductions will not take place during major holidays or special events, and the schedule remains weather dependent. Some side streets and driveways may be temporarily affected during nearby excavation, with access restored using steel plates and earthwork.
Community members can sign up for project updates by emailing us50tahoepaving@gmail.com.
When substantially completed this fall, the project will resurface just over 13 miles of U.S. 50 from the Nevada-California border at Stateline to the Spooner Summit Trailhead near the U.S. 50/State Route 28 intersection. The resurfacing will provide a smoother, safer drive for about 26,000 drivers who travel the corridor daily.
Crews will remove about 3 inches of aging roadway surface and replace it with new asphalt.
Between Spooner Summit and Glenbrook, double yellow center lines in the median will create a two-foot separation between directions of travel to reduce the risk of head-on crashes. Centerline rumble strips will also be installed between Spooner Pass and Glenbrook and in select areas to alert drivers if they drift from their lane.
Sections of roadside guardrail will be replaced or upgraded to concrete barrier rail to improve safety. Asphalt curbing will be replaced with concrete curbing to better handle winter snow removal. Drainage improvements are planned to reduce roadway water ponding.
A fiber optic trunk line will also be installed to expand NDOT’s communications network, connect intelligent transportation systems and support additional communication services.
The resurfacing does not reduce the number of lanes and will not include major turn lane or intersection reconfigurations.
(NDOT contributed to this report.)
The remainder of the project will be completed next year.
ORIGINAL STORY - OCTOBER 23, 2025:
NDOT is wrapping up the first phase of its repaving project on U.S. 50 in Lake Tahoe.
On Thursday, it announced crews have paved 5.5 miles of U.S. 50 from the Stateline area to just south of Cave Rock. Soon drivers will no longer see reduced lanes or other traffic control related to the project.
Since April crews have:
- Paved 5.5 miles of U.S. 50 from the Stateline area to just south of Cave Rock, an equivalent of 22 individual lane miles.
- Installed 13 miles, or 228,000 feet, of Intelligent Traffic Systems (ITS) underground conduit line to further connect and power roadway cameras, road/weather information systems, traffic counters, traffic flow detectors, automated chain/snow tire control signage, and more.
- More than 2,000 feet of existing culvert pipes were reinforced, and more than 15,000 feet of new roadside curb and gutter installed, helping protect Lake Tahoe clarity by channeling stormwater into designated drainage systems
When the project picks up again next April, drivers will see:
- Single lane closures will take place Sundays at 8 p.m. through Fridays at noon on sections of U.S. 50 between Spooner Summit to the Nevada/California border at Stateline.
- A minimum of one lane in each direction will stay open at all times.
- Speeds will be reduced to 35mph through work zones
- Lane reductions will not take place during major holidays or special events
- Construction schedule is weather permitting and subject to change
- Intermittent sidewalk closures will take place in the casino corridor, with pedestrian access remaining available
When completed next year, the project will ultimately resurface just over 13 miles of U.S. 50 from the Nevada/California border at Stateline to the Spooner Summit Trailhead near the U.S. 50/State Route 28 intersection
(NDOT contributed to this report.)
