Clearing begins on Kingsbury

Staff Reports

Kingsbury Grade between Carson Valley and Lake Tahoe could reopen next week after a contractor was hired to remove debris threatening a rock slide.

The highway, which carries more than 5,500 vehicles a day and is Douglas County's only route to Lake Tahoe, was closed Wednesday morning by state traffic engineers due to a potential rock slide.

A&K Earth Movers of Sparks has been selected by the Nevada Department of Transportation to do the $100,000 job.

State transportation spokesman Scott Magruder said work hauling debris away began Thursday and will continue 14-16 hours a day until the job is done.

"They could be wrapped up in less than a week, but they are being cautious. Part of the hillside is still trying to move."

Magruder said the state will have a better idea of how long shoring up the mountainside will take on Monday.

"They are up there right now doing a lot of excavation," Magruder said. "By Monday they will have made a lot of progress and then they will make the determination on whether to open the road. It is a top priority for the Nevada Department of Transportation."

The area is uphill from the roadway, approximately 4 miles east of the Kingsbury summit, and 7 miles west of Foothill Road. No homes are threatened.

With traffic from the Valley floor cut off, it means motorists will have to use Highway 50 over Spooner Summit or Highway 89 over Luther Pass as alternative routes. Motorists should allow an extra 30 minutes to arrive at their destination, NDOT advises.

Construction on Highway 50 between Zephyr Cove and Cave Rock will close one lane in each direction.

Night work on the roundabout at Highway 88 and County Road is expected to begin in earnest 6 p.m. Monday.

A large portion of Tahoe's casino workforce lives in Carson Valley and commutes via Kingsbury Grade. While the timing of the road closure is troublesome as Tahoe enters its busiest time of the year, the inconvenience to employees and employers remains a concern.

"There is never a good time for this to happen," said Kathy Farrell, executive director of the Tahoe Douglas Chamber of Commerce. "Fortunately it is not the major artery, but it is critical because of our workforce."

n Jim Scripps and Jeff Munson contributed to this report.