A major route headed in and out of Lake Tahoe's south shore is back open in both directions just in time for the weekend rush following a massive rockslide that had to be cleared using drills and dynamite.
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Caltrans announced U.S. Highway 50 had reopened at about 2:30 p.m.
As of 11 a.m. Friday, the giant boulder blocking the roadway was dislodged using explosives, as shown in videos posted to Twitter by the California Highway Patrol and Caltrans.
The CHP and Caltrans announced on Thursday night that the roadway was closed in both directions at Echo Summit in El Dorado County. Officials closed the route for the rest of Thursday and into Friday morning. At that time, there was no estimation for the road's reopening due to the massive boulder.
Neither agency specified what caused the rockslide, nor did officials say if any injuries were reported. Caltrans and the California Highway Patrol didn't respond to KCBS Radio's request for comment prior to publication.
The California Highway Patrol's South Lake Tahoe Office recommended residents find "alternative routes" for their morning commute due to the presence of a "cabin-sized rock."
KCBS Radio's Claire Beverly said drivers heading to Lake Tahoe from the Bay Area will need to use Interstate 80 or California State Routes 88 and 89.
This is the second rockslide on Highway 50 near Echo Summit within the last year. Last April, the highway closed for a couple days before reopening on April 12. Nobody was injured in the rockslide.
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