$30 Million Fanny Bridge Project Approved for Tahoe City

State Route 89/Fanny Bridge Community Revitalization Project

Kings Beach, Calif. –  The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency Governing Board today unanimously approved the Tahoe Transportation District’s State Route 89/Fanny Bridge Community Revitalization Project to construct a new bridge and realign SR 89 in Tahoe City. The project will support community revitalization efforts and resolve long-term structural and safety issues for the 87-year-old bridge at the Northwest corner of Lake Tahoe.
 
This concludes approval from all required boards. In April, TRPA’s Advisory Planning Commission as well as the TTD Board recommended certification of the environmental document and the selected preferred alternative (Alt. 1 Opt. 2). The Placer County Board of Supervisors approval was May 19.
 
Once the Federal Highway Administration and Central Federal Lands Highway Division sign the Finding of No Significant Impact for the Tahoe Transportation District (www.TahoeTransportation.org), the project’s lead agency will be able to move forward with funding finalization and design components.

Funding

The estimated $30 million project will be funded through the Federal Lands Access Program. FLAP awards financing to programs that support state and local efforts related to public roads, transit systems and other transportation facilities, with an emphasis on high-use recreation sites and economic generators.
 
“We want to support every possible opportunity to make our communities at Lake Tahoe more walkable and bikeable, and this Fanny Bridge project for Tahoe City is a major step forward in achieving our goals of improved mobility, safety and community revitalization,” said Joanne S. Marchetta, Executive Director of the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency. “This collaborative project also shows how agencies at Lake Tahoe are stepping up, engaging and working together to make good projects happen.”

Estimated completion 2018

The project design is scheduled for completion this October. Numerous Tahoe City residents, business and property owners have been involved and will continue to offer input on aesthetic features, landscaping and other design elements. Work is scheduled to start in 2016 with estimated completion in 2018.
 
The new two-lane bridge would be similar in size to the existing structure and would span the Truckee River with a realignment of state Route 89 and the addition of a two-lane road east of the existing Caltrans yard to West Lake Boulevard. This alternative would include three roundabouts that would form a triangle – one at the “Wye” (intersection of SR 89 and SR 28) and one at either end of the new alignment.
 
“This is the culmination of a coordinated outreach and engineering effort by our partners and affiliated agencies,” said Carl Hasty, district manager of the Tahoe Transportation District. “The community has arrived at a valuable project that promotes safety, economic vitality and the environment while maintaining the unique character of Tahoe City.”
 
“We’ve worked in environmentally sensitive areas and look forward to bringing our experience and insight to assist with making this project a reality,” said Mike Davies, director project delivery, Central Federal Lands Highway Division. “This community has residents, business, agencies, and leaders all working together because we care about the area, preserving the environment and its natural character.”
 
The existing section of SR 89 between Fanny Bridge and the eastern roundabout would be relinquished by the state to Placer County and redesigned as a “complete street,” for local traffic including motor vehicles, bicyclists, pedestrian and transit. Design features including landscaped areas, raised landscaped median, on-street parking, sidewalks, street lighting and benches will likely be installed within this section of roadway. As a locally controlled street with a contemporary, complete-street design, it could be temporarily closed for community events.
 
As the result of project implementation, other community enhancements include two emergency egress and ingress points for west shore residents and the North Tahoe Fire Protection District; enhanced motorized and non-motorized mobility, reduced traffic congestion, existing pedestrian and traffic safety issues, and revitalization efforts in Tahoe City.
 
Project participants include TTD, TRPA, Federal Highway Administration – Central Federal Lands Highway Division, Caltrans, Placer County, Tahoe City Public Utility District, Lahontan, Regional Water Quality Control Board, United States Forest Service/Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, California State Parks, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Bureau of Reclamation, and Tahoe-Truckee Sanitation Agency.
 
TTD’s public comprehensive outreach will continue throughout the duration of the project with notifications in local media, website updates, social media and public meetings.