Cave Rock barriers come down as construction project nears end

The project to stabilize the roadside slope near Cave Rock has been substantially completed, enough so that most of the lane reduction barriers have been removed. Crews Wednesday were smoothing new asphalt. Motorists should anticipate intermittent roadway shoulder and lane closures over coming weeks for final construction clean up.

During the winter of 2016-17, large boulders the size of passenger cars fell down the roadside slope onto Highway 50, just north of the Cave Rock tunnel near Logan Creek.

Last summer, the Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) began construction of a roadside wall to reinforce and encase the approximately 60-foot high slope and help prevent future erosion. Anchor bars were drilled into the slope to secure heavy-duty mesh. The mesh was then covered with more than 1,000 yards of thick sprayable “shotcrete” concrete to create what is called a soil nail wall. A final aesthetic layer of concrete was hand-sculpted to match colors and textures of nearby natural roadside slopes, and final roadway surface and curbing repairs made.

Now substantially completed, the approximately $5 million project by contractor Road and Highway Builders enhances safety for the more than 13,000 motorists who drive the road daily.

NDOT has dedicated approximately $15 million over past years to enhancing traffic safety by stabilizing roadside slopes to reduce rockslide and other erosion along U.S. 50 at Lake Tahoe. The majority of U.S. 50 roadside slopes in the Glenbrook area have already been stabilized with rock fall netting or reinforced roadside slopes or have barrier rail/wall built at the bottom to contain and collect erosion-related rock fall.

NDOT also extended the westbound, lakeside Cave Rock tunnel entrance to enhance safety by catching rock fall before it reaches the roadway.