Motorists urged to avoid US-50 to South Tahoe due to heavy traffic; Eastbound I-80 re-opens
Submitted by Jeff Munson on Tue, 12/28/2021 - 5:09pm
UPDATE 5:04PM: Motorists are urged to avoid travel on U.S. 50 into Stateline and South Lake Tahoe due to heavy traffic congestion, the Nevada Department of Transportation and Caltrans says.
Highway 50 in South Lake Tahoe is gridlocked with traffic because of Interstate 80 over Donner Summit being closed. Eastbound I-80 traffic has been reopened. Westbound remains closed. It is unknown at this time when it will reopen.
Carson Now reader Tabitha Perkins' husband, Robert, left Silver Springs on Tuesday morning at around 9:30 a.m. Driving a commercial truck, he's been stuck in traffic since then, arriving in Stateline at around 5 p.m.
It has taken nearly 7 hours in traffic from Cave Rock to just arriving into Stateline, said Perkins who is on their way to Placerville.
Both NDOT and Caltrans advise motorists that if they don't need to travel Tuesday over Highway 50 West, they shouldn't. At this time there is no estimate on when current accidents on Highway 50 west near South Lake Tahoe are going to clear and traffic will begin moving, according to NDOT.
For traffic updates do not call 9-1-1. That line should stay open for emergencies only. Please call 5-1-1 for road conditions and closures or go to nvroads.com or Caltrans.
In other developments, South Lake Tahoe's City Manager Joe Irvin has activated its Emergency Operations Center to manage local impacts to South Lake Tahoe due to the extreme weather and road conditions.
In a news release from the City of South Lake Tahoe it states "only essential travel is advised at this time. Due to the restricted roadways, a number of resources are at or near capacity, including gas, tow trucks, and lodging accommodations. With the highways also at capacity, there are significant delays in travel time. Anyone on the road risks getting stranded either from the road conditions or running out of fuel or electric charge, requiring emergency or other assistance. Emergency vehicles, snowplows, and their staff are challenged with getting through the traffic, so assistance may also be delayed. Those driving an electric vehicle are encouraged to check online resources for the nearest charging stations.
Because of road conditions and limited ability to get supplies, all resources within the City are currently limited and will likely remain so until conditions improve. For road conditions or local accommodation needs, do not contact 911 or local dispatch. Check road conditions at https://roads.dot.ca.gov/, http://quickmap.dot.ca.gov/, and https://nvroads.com."
