The Tahoe-Pyramid Bikeway is a work-in-progress that will eventually go from Lake Tahoe to Pyramid Lake. This 116 mile journey is about 50% complete, but many of the most difficult/costly sections remain.
The latest section being tackled by the Tahoe-Pyramid Bikeway group is a bridge over the Fleish dam near Verdi, Nevada. The current suspension bridge over the dam is unsafe for bicycle traffic. Construction began on an upgraded bridge this year. The bridge is expected to be finished by the summer of 2013.
Once the bridge is complete, 6 miles of new pavement will be added upstream from Crystal Peak Park in Verdi and 3 miles into California on a local water utility road. Negotiations with private land owners are underway to continue on to Floriston in California.
The cost for the bridge is about $440,000 dollars. Most of the money comes from state and federal grants. Private donations help as well. The Tahoe-Pyramid Bikeway was named one of the top trail projects in the country for 2012, receiving an award for design and construction from the annual Coalition for Recreational Trails competition.
Newest trail construction and bridge. Click to enlarge.