Highway 80 Repairs

Posted by High Sierra Rural Alliance

May 6, 2008

TRUCKEE – High on the Sierra crest above this old railroad town, the granite rocks are scarred with ruts carved by the wheels of the wagons pioneers hauled over Donner Summit 150 years ago.

And down below on Interstate 80, the modern equivalent of the pioneer trail, the concrete pavement has deep grooves worn by the tires and chains of the millions of cars and trucks that have climbed the summit every year since the highway opened nearly 50 years ago. Interstate 80's pavement, originally designed to last 20 years, is crumbling, making the journey over its lanes bumpy and dangerous, if not quite as treacherous as the trip California's early settlers took across the mountains in their day.

And so the people of California are paying to rebuild the highway, lane by lane and mile by mile, from Auburn to the Nevada state line. This year, and for the next four or five years, the section between Truckee and Soda Springs, up and over Donner Summit, will be in a constant state of construction and change, part of a commitment of tax dollars that will eventually top $1 billion.

Read more about this project at the Sacramento Bee.