Caltrans closed eastbound Interstate 80 at Colfax on Friday night as snow fell in the Sierra Nevada. Westbound traffic reopened at the Nevada state line at 7:42 p.m. Pacific. In a road report at 9:14 p.m., Caltrans still listed the eastbound closure and advised drivers to use an alternate route. It gave no reopening time.
Eastbound closure and westbound chain controls
Drivers heading east from the Sacramento area toward Truckee or Reno cannot continue on I-80 through Colfax while the closure is in effect. Westbound drivers coming from Nevada face chain controls from the state line to Nyack in Placer County. Caltrans lists an exception for four-wheel-drive vehicles with snow tires on all four wheels. Its chain-control guide says drivers who need to install chains must pull completely off the roadway. Westbound trucks face chain screening near Mogul, Nevada, and must stop at the brake check west of Nyack. Caltrans says permit loads are prohibited at the screen.
Check U.S. 50 before switching routes
U.S. 50 has its own chain controls between three miles east of Kyburz and Meyers. That road serves South Lake Tahoe. Check its restrictions before routing around I-80. The National Weather Service warning covering the Interstate 80 corridor above 5,000 feet runs through 10 a.m. Pacific Saturday.
Check Caltrans QuickMap or call 800-427-7623 for current conditions before leaving. The state posts closures and chain controls separately, so a reopened highway can still require chains.
