Route 80 east to North Lake Tahoe, Tahoe Donner, and Truckee.
Winter Driving Tips:
During the winter when the weather starts to get bad, route 80 east can get very slow. Sometimes it is closed to all traffic. Sometimes chain controls are in effect. Sometimes the traffic is intentionally held up to reduce the number of cars, in which case only a few cars are allowed to pass at a time. The effect of this can be extreme traffic delays.
There are ways to bypass some of these delays. Hey, did you ever wonder how the people who do the chain installation at the chain control areas actually get there themselves? They certainly don't sit in traffic for hours to get there.
As an example, one recent poor weather trip took 4 ½ hours from San Francisco to Truckee. Compare that with 10-12 hours reported by people who waited in the traffic on 80.
First check with Caltrans to find out what the road conditions are like for route 80. Call Caltrans at 800-427-7623 and check radio stations 1610 or 1670 AM which are localized traffic information stations. Find out whether 80 is open, closed, or if traffic is being held.
If 80 is "closed". Then there isn't much that you can do to avoid the delay. You might consider stopping at a bar/restaurant/hotel in Auburn or Colfax and wait for conditions to change.
If traffic is being "held", that does not mean that 80 is closed. It means that traffic control stations are setup to reduce the amount of traffic going through the higher elevation parts of 80. The traffic is stymied by only allowing a few cars through at a time.
Common traffic control stations are Applegate and Alta. Find out from Caltrans if traffic is being held at Applegate and/or Alta. If they are in effect, then bypassing them can have huge effect of your drive time. Plan your route based on this information. If you stay on 80 and wait until you hit the traffic, then it may be too late. Once you hit stopped traffic on 80, you can just about sit in one place for hours. Once your stuck you don't have many options. It can take hours just to get to the next exit.
So make sure to use the rest-rooms in Auburn.
Even if traffic is not being held at Alta, when chain controls are in effect, traffic can slow significantly at Alta due to the chain control area there.
If chain controls are in effect on 80, then you should use 4-wheel drive or chains anywhere east of Gold Run, Monte Vista, or Alta.
Short-cuts to bypass traffic on east-bound 80 toward Lake Tahoe from Sacramento.
Roseville to Auburn: (bypassing Roseville)
If 80 through Roseville is busy take Douglas east to Auburn Folsom Rd left (north)
Take Auburn Folsom Rd all the way to Auburn (follow signs for Auburn)
then get back on 80 east or take Bowman Rd east from Auburn
Auburn to Colfax: (bypassing Applegate)
take Bowman Rd east from Auburn
right on Lake Arthur Rd., left on Placer Hills Rd. (or left on Pinewood Way,
then left on Placer Hills Rd.)
(or straight from Bowman Rd onto Christian Valley Rd., vear right on Bancroft Rd., stay left at Black Oak Dr., left on Pinewood Way, Left on Placer Hills Rd
or take 80 to Neilsburg Exit left
cross to north side of freeway
either right or left on Lake Arthur Rd.
1) right on Lake Arthur Rd to Clipper Gap/Meadow Vista exit (which is Placer Hills Rd.)
left on Placer Hills Rd. (or left on Pinewood Way, then left on Placer Hills Rd)
2) left on Lake Arthur Rd., right on Christian Valley Rd., vear right on Bancroft Rd., stay left at Black Oak Dr., left on Pinewood Way, Left on Placer Hills Rd
from 80/Meadow Vista Exit
cross to North side of freeway and follow Placer Hills Rd. toward Colfax
follow signs for Colfax and get back on 80 east
Colfax to Baxter/Alta: (bypassing Alta)
80/174 N (Central St.) exit from 80 at Colfax
Go approximately 1.4 mi. and veer right on Rollins Lake Rd. (39deg 07.067', 120deg 56.973')
veer left to stay on Rollins Lake Rd. at Shady Glen (not Norton Grade Rd. which veers right)
eventually this turns into Magra Rd at 80/Hidden Town exit
80/Secret Town exit go right (to stay on south side of Freeway)
left on Magra Rd.
eventually goes left and over freeway at 80/Gold Run exit
80/Gold Run exit
left on Magra Rd.
right on Gold Run Rd. (39deg 10.546', 120deg 51.530')
left (at or just after Gold Run town) on Lincoln rd. (39deg 10.825',120deg 51.364')
cross railroad tracks
right on Lincoln Rd/Gold Run School Rd. (39deg 10.854', 120deg 51.406')
go about 1.6 mi. to Sacramento St./Ridge Rd. (39deg 11.423', 120deg 49.877')
left on Sacramento St./Ridge Rd or right to 80/Monte Vista exit (Sacramento St./Ridge Rd.)
(if from 80/Monte Vista exit, take a left on Sacramento St./Ridge Rd.)
veer right on Ridge Rd.
Left on Alta Bonnynook Rd (39deg 12.342', 120deg 48.827') or straight to use Alta on-ramp (Morton Rd.)
right on Crystal Springs to use on-ramp at Crystal Springs Rd.
or left on Baxter Rd. (39deg 12.630',120deg 47.110')
use on-ramp in Baxter at Lukens Ln (39deg 12.882', 120deg 46.618')
continue on 80 East to North Lake Tahoe (Truckee, Tahoe-Donner, Boreal, Squaw Valley, Alpine Meadows, Reno, etc.)
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