NV-207 (Kingsbury Grade) closure starts 5/1/2014

Started by gonealookin, April 28, 2014, 02:07:04 PM

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gonealookin

A major reconstruction project on the three or so miles of NV-207 from US-50 in Stateline up to Daggett Pass starts on May 1.  NDOT is closing the road to through traffic from May 1 to Memorial Day and then again after Labor Day.  The work will be limited to weeknights during the tourist-heavy summer season, when the road will not be fully closed but will be subject to flagger control.

QuoteThis project includes the following:
-- 13-inch full-depth reconstruction of the road
-- Improve roadway drainage and water runoff
-- Improve poor sight-distance at Tramway Drive
-- Increase pedestrian visibility with improved lighting
-- Improve sidewalk, curb and gutter and American Disability Act compliance

Part of the road was built directly over some natural springs so that ongoing maintenance issue will be permanently addressed, one hopes.  The drainage and runoff work has been happening on all the highways around Tahoe in recent years to help maintain the clarity of the lake.

The closure poses a substantial inconvenience to those of us who regularly travel between Stateline and Minden/Gardnerville.  The direct SR-207 route is about 18 miles one-way whereas the US-50/US-395 detour via the south end of Carson City is about 35 miles one-way.  The CA-89/CA-88/NV-88 detour will be better for those coming from the Echo Summit and Meyers area.  Nevertheless, NV-207 has seen a lot of nuisance maintenance projects in recent years, and if this job actually gets the road fixed "once and for all" in a reasonable amount of time the closure ought to be worth it.


andy3175

Thank you for sharing this. Nevada 207 is the best route from US 395 to South Lake Tahoe when coming from the south, which is a drive I plan to take this summer.
Regards,
Andy

www.aaroads.com

gonealookin

Follow-up:  Today's mail contained an envelope from NDOT containing a form letter and two gate pass cards, the type you would use to enter the gate at a private development.  The letter says the cards will "allow access to and from the Carson Valley using Kingsbury Grade" during the closures..."Please do not lose this card.  Without it, you will need to use the [35-mile] US 50 detour".  It sounds like they are putting up gates with card readers at both ends of the closure and turning a well-traveled 11-mile state highway into a de facto private road for the three weeks in May and then several more weeks after Labor Day.

I'll be interested to see what actually happens tomorrow night as far as gating of the road.  Depending on how many of the cards are being sent out, there could be quite an active market for them.

agentsteel53

gate pass cards?  same form factor as a credit card or a hotel key?  I detect the presence of possible duplicates.
live from sunny San Diego.

http://shields.aaroads.com

jake@aaroads.com

gonealookin

#4
Here's what they've done to close off the highway except to passholders.  The through traffic from the summit to the valley is ordinarily about 5000 vehicles per day so the pass system should reduce that by over 90%.  (Photo from this article which goes into more detail about the closure.)

(Edit:  Image posted on Photobucket deleted)

gonealookin

The NV-207 project is entering the next major phase.  The gate will be reinstalled at midnight on Labor Day and there will be no through traffic between Lake Tahoe and the Carson Valley until sometime in October, except for those possessing permits.  Some of this work is above the 7000 foot level and generally projects up there are supposed to be locked down for the winter by October 15.  The primary alternate route is US 50 from Carson City; CA 89 from the south over Luther Pass also works.



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