TAHOE CITY, Calif. — Some of the proposed upgrade options to Tahoe City’s aging Fanny Bridge will cause significant and unavoidable impacts to West Shore transportation.

This is just one of the findings in the project’s recently released draft environmental document, which aims to resolve existing and future traffic congestion at the “Wye” intersection, improve safety and access, and address the structural integrity of Fanny Bridge.

“Although change of any kind causes concern — and should — we need to make sure it’s well thought out and reasonable,” said Tahoe City resident Marguerite Sprague, who supports the project. “… We have to cope with change here. Our only choice is ‘which change’?”

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Six alternatives are proposed along with one no-project option. Four alternatives (1 through 4) involve construction of a new bridge over the Truckee River, realignment of Highway 89 and the bike path, and modification to the Caltrans maintenance yard.

The other two (6 and 6a) would rehabilitate or replace and widen the existing bridge on the current Highway 89 alignment, and modify the existing “Wye” intersection.

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“You can envision a very different community environment with different scenarios,” Sprague said. “All of them have some merit, and all of them have some drawbacks.”

‘THE COMMUNITY HAS TO DECIDE’

Tahoe City resident Jim Sajdak has been an outspoken critic of alternatives that call for Highway 89 realignment for years.

“I will only support a project that benefits our business community, natural environment and does not develop an unjustified highway system through a currently forested area and neighborhood,” he said.

Sajdak said he thinks a modified version of 6a would work best. A benefit he identifies with 6a — which proposes a roundabout at the “Wye” — includes creating a gateway to Lake Tahoe in Tahoe City, allowing westbound traffic to move constantly through and preventing the potential bypass of income to Tahoe City businesses by vehicles traveling around the entrance.

“This proposed project has such a large potential to impact our community and environment that the community needs to decide on the preferred alternative, not a local agency,” Sajdak said.

Alfred Knotts, transportation projects manager for Tahoe Transportation District, said it’s standard practice that a preferred alternative isn’t identified until after a draft environmental document has been circulated.

“The underlining rationale is that the document is considered draft until public comment has occurred and been considered, as new information can come to light as a result of the public review,” he said.

WHAT’S NEXT

Comments are due by 5 p.m., Feb. 17. They can be mailed to Brain Judge, principal environmental specialist, Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, PO Box 5310, Stateline, NV 89449; faxed to 775-588-4527; or emailed to bjudge@trpa.org.

Following the completion of responses to comments received and preparation of a final environmental document, agency leads — TTD, Tahoe Regional Planning Agency and Central Federal Lands Highway Division — will select a preferred alternative and make the final determination on its environmental effect.

Hard copies of the draft are available at the offices of the TTD, TRPA and Placer County Planning Services; Tahoe City Public Utility District, and the Tahoe City, Kings Beach and Truckee libraries.