Plans are underway for the next phase of the Tahoe East Shore Trail, extending from Sand Harbor to Spooner Summit, according to the Tahoe Fund, with construction of the next phase to begin in 2022.
The new section of the East Shore Trail will run from Sand Harbor to Spooner Summit and will be 8 miles long on the lake side of the highway and following the route of the highway. Adding to the existing 3 miles of trail that currently runs from Incline to Sand Harbor, the trail will be a total of 11 miles when complete.
This next phase will expand the Highway 28 safety improvements, shared-use path, parking, transit stops, emergency pullouts, visitor amenities and other environmental improvements, with construction slated to begin in spring 2022. Construction will likely take place over five construction seasons ending in 2026.
In total, there will be about 535 new parking spaces in the corridor from Sand Harbor to Spooner Summit. During peak periods, there are currently more cars parking on the shoulder than the amount of spaces that can be provided due to the physical constraints within the corridor. The plan is to provide transit stops at each of these locations to fill the gap during peak periods. This is to meet existing visitor recreation access and not to encourage greater access to the beaches and coves.
Project partners from Tahoe Transportation District, Nevada Department of Transportation, and the U.S. Forest Service are finalizing the environmental approvals and preliminary construction schedule for the next segment, according to a post from Tahoe Fund. Timelines may change due to delays from COVID-19.
Other improvements along the trail will include:
- Tahoe Transportation District has applied for a grant to complete approximately 90 additional parking spaces along Highway 28 in Incline Village, Nev. Tahoe Transportation District expects to hear about the grant in summer 2020. If the grant is approved, construction would be scheduled to begin during summer 2021.
- There are also plans for a new parking lot across from the Spooner Lake State Park entrance that will hold about 250 vehicles. Construction is estimated to begin in 2023, pending funding.
- Plans also include a new parking lot at Skunk Harbor with an estimated 40 new parking spaces. Construction is estimated to begin in 2023, pending funding.
- The current parking at Secret Harbor and Chimney Beach will be expanded with approximately 105 and 140 new spaces, respectively. Construction is estimated to take place between 2024 and 2026, pending funding.
- The project will provide a permanent Aquatic Invasive Species boat inspection station location near Highway 50.
- The new IVGID effluent pipeline replacement. The new pipeline will run in conjunction with the path for the majority of the alignment, transporting treated wastewater from the District’s water resource recovery facility to the disposal point at the wetlands in the East Carson Valley. The project partners have developed project timelines that match IVGID’s priorities for replacement of the pipeline.
Other area projects
On the Nevada side, the Tahoe Transportation District is working at both the north and south ends of the Nevada section. On the south end, the Tahoe Transportation District is working on half-mile connection from the casino resort core to the existing Rabe Meadow trail, as well as a 3-mile extension of the trail from the U.S. Forest Service’s Round Hill Pines Historic Resort north to the Zephyr Cove Resort & Beach.
On the north end the Tahoe Transportation District is currently seeking grant funding to complete the 3-mile segment from Crystal Bay to Incline Village. The Environmental Analysis and 30 percent preliminary engineering for this segment of trail is planned to begin in 2021.
The U.S. Forest Service released the Environmental Assessment on the proposed section of trail from Sand Harbor to Spooner Lake is available at fs.usda.gov/detail/ltbmu/news-events/?cid=FSEPRD641987.
Find more information at tahoefund.org/uncategorized/tahoe-east-shore-trail-faq/ or tahoetransportation.org.
