Credit: Nevada Department of Transportation

On April 27, the Nevada Department of Transportation will launch the second and final season of a two-year project to repave U.S. 50 between Spooner Summit and the Nevada / California border at Lake Tahoe.

During the first construction season in 2025, crews paved five and a half miles of U.S. 50 through the Stateline casino corridor to just south of Cave Rock, including new highway surface through the Stateline casino corridor.

This year, crews will repave more than seven additional miles of highway, and finalize roadside curb and gutter, drainage and barrier/guardrail improvements. 

Motorists will see the following traffic changes April 27 through October 2026 as crews pave and improve the remaining section of highway during the project’s final construction season: 

  • Single lane closures will take place Sundays at 8 p.m. through Fridays at noon on sections of U.S. 50 from just south of Cave Rock to the Spooner Summit trailhead. Additional intermittent lane reductions will also take place Friday afternoons during the months of May and September.
  • A one-mile section of U.S. 50 from Round Hill to Zephyr Cove that was not paved last season will be repaved this year
  • A minimum of one lane in each direction will stay open at all times.
  • Speeds will be reduced to 35mph through work zones
  • Drivers can anticipate moderate travel delays through the work zone
  • While access to businesses and residences will be continuously maintained in most areas, certain side streets and driveways will temporarily be impacted as roadway excavation takes place in the immediate area. Steel plates and earthwork will be used after excavation to reestablish side street access
  • Lane reductions will not take place during major holidays or special events
  • Construction schedule is weather permitting and subject to change

Community members can sign up for project updates by e-mailing us50tahoepaving@gmail.com.

When substantially completed this fall, 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. The resurfacing will provide a smoother, safer drive for the approximately 26,000 drivers who travel the busy stretch of highway daily.

  • Three inches of aging roadway surface will be removed and replaced with new asphalt.
  • Between Spooner Summit and Glenbrook, two double yellow lines in the median will create a two-foot separation between traffic directions to reduce potential head-on crashes and enhance safety.
  • To also help reduce cross-over crashes, centerline rumble strips will be placed between Spooner Pass and Glenbrook and other select areas to help alert and correct drivers who may unintentionally leave their lane.
  • Certain sections of roadside guardrail will also be replaced or upgraded to concrete barrier rail to enhance safety.
  • Existing asphalt curbs will be replaced with concrete curbing to better withstand winter snow removal activities. 
  • Drainage improvements will reduce roadway water ponding.
  • A fiber optic trunk line will also be installed to expand NDOT’s communications network, connect intelligent transportation systems, and provide a pathway for other communications services.

The resurfacing does not reduce the number of highway lanes and will not include major turn lane or intersection reconfigurations.

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.