Nevada County Transportation Commission - Completed Truckee Projects

Completed Truckee Projects

For reports relating to current projects, please visit the Reports section of the website. See descriptions of completed projects below.

Truckee

SR 89 Mousehole and Pedestrian/Bicycle Tunnel - Truckee
SR 89 is a major artery for vehicles traveling from I-80 to Lake Tahoe and several major recreation facilities in the area. The current Union Pacific Railroad underpass structure on SR 89 in Truckee, known locally as the "Mousehole," has long been the subject of discussion regarding its inadequacies. The structure was completed in 1928 by the U.S. Bureau of Public Roads. It became a focal point for traffic congestion and needed improvements to provide safe pedestrian and bicycle access. Pedestrians who used the route to access shopping nearby were observed running through the Mousehole to avoid conflict with cars. Others climbed up and over the 25-foot-high railroad embankment rather than risk walking through the underpass.

Mousehole Traffic Tunnel with pedestrian 12-14-11
Pedestrian walking through Mousehole vehicle tunnel prior to construction of pedestrian tunnel

The Town of Truckee (as lead agency), Caltrans, and the Nevada County Transportation Commission provided funding to develop a project to improve traffic flow and safety at the Mousehole. Caltrans assembled a Project Development Team for this project, and after looking at several alternatives, it was determined that due to the high cost of widening the existing vehicle tunnel, or adding a new tunnel, the scope of work was then focused on constructing a Pedestrian /Bicycle Undercrossing Tunnel on the east side of SR 89 between West River Street and Deerfield Drive. A 12-foot-wide by 10-foot-high concrete tunnel for pedestrian and bicycle use was constructed beneath the Union Pacific Railroad tracks east of the existing vehicle tunnel. Caltrans provided $4.4 million from the State Highway Operation and Protection Program (SHOPP) and $570,000 of toll credits to be used for federal matching purposes. NCTC programmed and the California Transportation Commission approved an allocation on June 25, 2014 for $3.132 million in State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) funds. Truckee provided $350,000 from its traffic impact fee fund. Based on construction estimates, the project was underfunded by $1.5 million, so Truckee submitted an application for a federal grant from the TIGER 2013 program in that amount and was awarded the amount needed. The funds were obligated on June 27, 2014. The Town received authorization to proceed with construction on June 30, 2014 and the project went out to bid in August. The Town awarded the construction contract to Gordon N. Ball, Inc. on September 23, 2014 in the amount of $7,870,230 with a contingency budget of 10% at $787,000.

Construction began on the pedestrian/bicycle tunnel after the April 2, 2015 groundbreaking ceremony. When you click on the construction live camera link below you can see the time lapse progress from the beginning of construction on May 11, 2015 to the completion of work on September 9, 2016. The September 2015 Update Report shown below describes some of the construction activities, and pictures the ground freezing system and construction phases of the tunnel before it was jacked through the embankment. Meeting Minutes from the July 15, 2015 NCTC Special Meeting below detail the tour given to NCTC Commissioners of the pedestrian tunnel construction site.

Mousehole Pedestrian Tunnel before pushing through embankment 9-8-15

Pedestrian Tunnel built outside of embankment and then jacked through - 9/8/15

Mousehole Ped/Bike Project Completed 8-16-16

Pedestrian/Bicycle Tunnel completed next to the "Mousehole" SR 89 Vehicle Tunnel - 8/16/16

Mousehole Ped/Bike Project Completed with Train 8-14-16

Mousehole Pedestrian/Bicycle Tunnel with Train - 8/14/16

Click here to view Mousehole Alternative 1 (the pedestrian/bicycle tunnel alternative)

SR 89 Mousehole Construction Time Lapse Video

Town of Truckee Mousehole Improvement Project Video
November 2015 Update on the Mousehole Pedestrian Tunnel Project

September 2015 Update Report with descriptions of construction activities and ground freezing pictures

Minutes of July 15, 2015 NCTC Special Meeting - Tour of the Pedestrian Tunnel Construction Site

Updated 2/27/17

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Truckee River Legacy Trail
The Truckee River Legacy Trial is a series of planned trails that locals and tourists alike enjoy year-round. The Town of Truckee adopted a Trails and Bikeways Master Plan, which provides detailed guidelines for the development of over 130 miles within the Town. The Truckee River Legacy Trail is a high priority trail. When complete, this trail will connect the Donner Memorial State Park to the Glenshire neighborhood. The majority of the route will parallel the Truckee River. Phase 1 and 2 of the Truckee River Legacy Trail was completed in the summer of 2009 and Phase 3A was completed in 2010. Phase 3B opened on August 8, 2014 (see invitation below to the opening ceremony). Phase 4 and 5 are segments to be completed in the future. For more details, click on the Truckee River Legacy Trail link below.

Truckee River Legacy Trail
Invitation to the Ribbon Cutting Ceremony Opening Phase 3B of the Trail -- August 8, 2014, 4:00 p.m.
Time Lapse Video of the Bridge Being Installed Over Martis Creek -- A crane was used to put the bridge together and to set it in place. The crane required 220,000 lbs. of counterweight, which you will see being placed on the crane in the beginning of the video. The bridge was set on June 16, 2014.

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Truckee-Capital Preventive Maintenance (CAPM)
This project proposes to preserve the pavement on SR 89 in Nevada County from PM 1.2, just north of I-80, to the Sierra County line. It will preserve the existing pavement by Cold-in-Place recycling followed by HMA overlay. New striping and replacement of existing guardrail will also take place. This project was programmed in the 2012 SHOPP for $6,185,000 including Engineering, Environmental, Right-of-Way, and Construction. Bids opened on 10/23/14, and the construction contract was awarded to Granite Construction for $3,966,966. Construction work started on 7/7/15 and was completed in November.