Kings Beach Commercial Core Improvement Project named project of the year

Published on July 23, 2015

Placer County’s Kings Beach Commercial Core Improvement Project has been honored with the 2015 Project of the Year award by the Sacramento chapter of the American Public Works Association. The project is transforming a 1.1-mile stretch of Highway 28 through the heart of this North Lake Tahoe community and the adjacent residential neighborhood into a more environmentally-friendly and walkable community. The project is managed by the county’s Department of Public Works and is in its second year of construction, with completion expected in spring 2016.

The award was for the complete street transportation category. The association recognizes public works projects demonstrating excellence in management, administration, design, construction and community relations, as well as the alliance among the managing agency and the consultants, engineers and contractor who work on the project.

When completed, the project will provide multiple benefits to both Kings Beach and Lake Tahoe. As part of the project, water-quality improvements have been installed and will catch sediment-laden runoff and treat it, helping preserve the lake’s clarity. With the installation of sidewalks and bicycle lanes, the community will be much more pedestrian and bike friendly. Numerous amenities are also being installed that improve the aesthetics of the community. They include 8,000 feet of sidewalks, bicycle lanes, streetscape improvements, trash receptacles, a 400-foot-long granite seat wall, benches, landscaping and decorative lights.  

“I appreciate all the perseverance and hard work public works did to get this project into the construction phase,” said Supervisor Jennifer Montgomery, whose district includes Kings Beach and 40 percent of the Lake Tahoe basin. “While the focus has always been to improve both the lake and Kings Beach and the economic benefits that flow from those accomplishments, I congratulate public works staff and I’m proud that their efforts have earned the recognition of their peers.”

The award will be presented to the county’s public works staff at an awards ceremony in August.