Part of Tahoe Highway 28 closed due to sewer line burst

INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. - A road along the eastern shore of Lake Tahoe remained closed Sunday because of a break in a sewer line.

The section of Nevada Highway 28 dissolved when the line that carries treated sewer water broke Saturday. The highway between Incline Village and U.S. 50 is expected to remain closed for several days.

Nevada Department of Transportation spokesman Scott Magruder said crews will try to get at least one lane open and get some traffic moving on the highway again.

"The earliest would be Tuesday evening, but we're confident we can get it open by Wednesday morning," Magruder said.

The highway runs along the northeastern shore of the lake. The stretch is used by about 5,500 vehicles a day and will have to be rebuilt, Magruder said.

The line that broke carries treated wastewater for more than 20 miles from Incline Village to northern Douglas County for irrigation.

Bob Lochridge, operations supervisor f or the Incline Village General Improvement District's public works department, said water was reported spewing from the line around 6:30 a.m. Saturday. The pipe was quickly shut down and no treated wastewater reached Lake Tahoe or its tributaries.

The spill is believed to be at least a mile away from the lake at the closest point.

"It's definitely not making it to the lake," Lochridge said. "That was our main concern."

Crews from the U.S. Forest Service dug lines down the slope from the spill to ensure the wastewater would not reach the lake.

"I feel comfortable we will keep it from getting to the lake," said Mike Brown, chief of the North Lake Tahoe Fire Protection District.