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Tahoe transportation board delays vote on Fanny Bridge

Margaret Moran
mmoran@sierrasun.com
This schematic shows a simulation of how the Highway 89 bypass would look crossing the Truckee River Bike Trail and the river on the north side of town.
Courtesy TTD |

Preferred alternative

Referred to as Alternative 1, Option 2 (roundabout), it proposes a new or rehabilitated bridge over the Truckee River and realigning Highway 89 by adding a two-lane bypass through the 64 Acres lot in National Forest System land, while redesignating a portion of the existing state highway by the bridge to a county street that would be open to all traffic.

It also proposes three roundabouts that would essentially form a triangle — one at the “Wye,” and one at either end of the new bypass.

The Tahoe Transportation District and Federal Highway Administration staff selected this project from six alternatives and one no-project option based on environmental findings and public comments.

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More online

Visit trpa.org/get-involved/major-projects to view the final environmental document.

Visit FannyBridge.org to learn more about the Fanny Bridge/Highway 89 Community Revitalization Project.

TAHOE CITY, Calif. — Local agencies and the public have more time to review the Fanny Bridge/Highway 89 overhaul before action is taken.

At a special Tahoe Transportation District Board of Directors meeting Friday, certification of the project’s final Environmental Impact Report and approval of the preferred alternative did not occur as originally agendized.

Shortly before the meeting, consultants discovered the California Environmental Quality Act requires 10 days between the release of a final EIR and governing board votes, said Carl Hasty, district manager for the TTD.



Thus, with the final environment document — which is a joint EIR, Environmental Impact Statement and Environmental Assessment — being released four days prior to the March 27 meeting, action could not be taken by the board.

“There (are) a lot of nuances and schedules; things we’re trying to coordinate, and (it) was essentially overlooked in the process,” said Alfred Knotts, TTD’s transportation projects manager. “(This) provides a little more time for the agencies and the public to look at the (responses) to comments in the final document.”



The TTD board will revisit the topic at its regular April 10 meeting, scheduled for 9:30 a.m. at Granlibakken Tahoe, 725 Granlibakken Road, Tahoe City.

Of the roughly 15 people who commented at Friday’s meeting, concerns raised with the preferred alternative included impacts to businesses in the “Wye,” the removal of trees in the 64 Acres lot planted in memorial for deceased individuals, and not solving roadway congestion.

Supporters of the project, meanwhile, mostly cited safety improvements.

Despite the TTD vote being postponed, a “substantial delay” to the project’s schedule is not anticipated, Knotts said.

Other agency meetings will continue as planned. The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency Advisory Planning Commission will meet at 9:30 a.m. April 8 at 128 Market St. in Stateline, where the project will be discussed.

The TRPA Governing Board then will meet at 9:30 a.m. April 23 in the North Tahoe Event Center in Kings Beach, with the board expected to vote on whether to certify the final environmental document and approve the alternative.

The tentative timeline if approvals happen include project design involving public engagement being done this summer into fall, with construction to begin in May 2016.


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