SPOONER SUMMIT, Nev. – The Spooner Transportation Hub appears to be making very rapid progress, with the removal of trees drawing attention along State Route 28.
The project, which began in May, will supply an additional 250 parking spots, a watercraft inspection station and an access point for Tahoe Transportation District transit services, along with restrooms and EV charging spaces.
The project site is located near the Spooner Lake State Park entrance and is a part of regional partners’ larger initiative to reduce unsafe roadside parking along State Route 28.
The Tribune reached out to the Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT), a partner on the project along with Tahoe Transportation District, Tahoe Regional Transportation Agency (TRPA), the U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, and Nevada State Parks, to ask why this project feels like it is making such quick progress.
“Each construction project is unique, with components that impact [the] timeline of each phase of construction,” Meg Ragonese, a spokesperson for NDOT, said.
Ragonese says the construction now underway actually follows years of project development, including extensive design and coordination.
However, the current phase of construction involves tree removal, and as she explains, “This type of eye-level tree removal can have a more profound visual impact than compared to underground utility work that isn’t as fully seen by passersby. With projects like this, you can visually see a quick change in a short amount of time.”
Ragonse says the contractors are working very efficiently, using specialized tree-removal experts and equipment for this stage of construction under a U.S. Forest Service permit.
The construction is also taking place in an area with no underground utilities, such as storm drains, water, sewer, electrical, communication, or highway traffic considerations, which impact construction schedules.
Once the project is past the tree removal work, things may appear to slow down. The project will enter its general excavation phase, a more intricate and detailed construction phase that includes tasks such as final grading, drainage and parking lot paving.
The project is on schedule to be completed at the end of next year.
