The project will add parking options, reduce unsafe and harmful roadside parking on State Route 28, and improve aquatic invasive species inspections to protect Lake Tahoe. Credit: NDOT photo

Construction begins today, Monday May 11 on a Nevada Department of Transportation-administered project to install a parking hub and watercraft inspection station on State Route 28 near the Spooner Lake State Park entrance.

The project will add parking options, reduce unsafe and harmful roadside parking on State Route 28, and improve aquatic invasive species inspections to protect Lake Tahoe. The project is part of a broader regional effort to improve safety, enhance access, protect water quality and better manage parking along the SR 28 corridor.

The majority of construction will take place off of the roadway, but drivers should anticipate the following on SR 28 near the SpoonerLake State Park entrance and U.S. 50 junction beginning May 11 through fall 2027:

  • Work zone speed limits reduced to 35mph
  • Traffic flaggers will briefly stop traffic for construction trucks entering and exiting the highway
  • Access will remain open to Spooner Lake State Park
  • During the 2027 construction season, drivers should anticipate periodic lane and road closures. Advance notice will be provided.

PROJECT INFORMATION

The project will construct a new transit hub, parking lot and a permanent watercraft inspection station on the south side of State Route 28, directly across from the Spooner Lake State Park entrance.

When completed in 2027, the facility will offer:

  • Aquatic invasive species watercraft inspection and decontamination station to help protect Lake Tahoe and the waters of the region, replacing the existing temporary station near the U.S. 50 intersection. This will be the first permanent inspection station in the Tahoe Basin
  • Approximately 250 parking spots to replace unsafe shoulder parking on SR 28. Proposed to be operated under the Park Tahoe® Program, parking fees will help support maintenance and operation along State Route 28
  • Proposed expanded transit service to be provided by the Tahoe Transportation District from the parking area to State Route28 recreation destinations during the peak summer season
  • Recreational access to Spooner State Park and other public lands
  • The parking area location offers an opportunity to connect to a proposed future extension of the East Shore Trail
  • Restroom facilities
  • Infrastructure for planned electric vehicle charging facilities and communication technology to help manage peak demand
  • A signalized pedestrian crossing beacon on SR 28 will offer enhanced pedestrian access from the parking area to SpoonerLake State Park. Visitors accessing Spooner Lake State Park will still need to pay for walk-in access to Spooner Park, even if parking in the new parking area

Located on National Forest System lands and developed in partnership with NDOT, Tahoe Transportation District, Tahoe Regional Transportation Agency (TRPA), the U. S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit and Nevada State Parks, the parking facility will be operated and maintained by Tahoe Transportation District and the watercraft inspection station by TRPA pending special use permit. The transportation hub is planned to initially be open during summer seasons. Partner agencies are also working with the Forest Service to explore potential winter operations at the mobility hub.

The project builds on ongoing regional parking and mobility improvements designed to address high seasonal visitation and limited roadside parking capacity in one of the most heavily used recreation corridors in the Tahoe Basin.

More than 2.5 million vehicles a year travel on SR 28, mixing with as many as 1,000 pedestrians who park and recreate near the roadside on peak days, creating safety and access concerns. The demand for parking on the corridor well exceeds twice the amount of currently available spots, and the number of vehicles parked along the shoulder has grown every year.

The new transportation hub and relocated highway parking will offer an alternative for visitors to take transit to their recreational destination. Along with the expanded parking lot and pedestrian crossing at Chimney Beach, an expanded parking area near Tunnel Creek in Incline Village and planned off-highway parking and transit stop at Secret Harbor, the State Route 28 Spooner Transportation Hub is intended to help reduce unsafe roadside parking, protect Lake Tahoe’s clarity from roadside erosion and encourage the use of transit, biking, and other alternative transportation options along SR 28.

Additional state highway information is available at dot.nv.gov or by calling (775) 888-7000. Also follow @NevadaDOTReno on Twitter for traffic and project updates in northern Nevada, and @nevadadot on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram for updates from across the state.