Lake Tahoe, CA/NV— Is 35 minutes of travel time worth up to $100 in value-added savings at South Lake Tahoe? South Lake Tahoe lodging providers are offering value-added deals to make the time pass more quickly as a detour for Highway 50 over Echo Summit will divert traffic for about two weeks. (http://www.TahoeSouth.com)

With work anticipated to start at the beginning of May, travelers to South Lake Tahoe will be rewarded for their loyalty through incentive deals and packages designed to make the scenic re-route more convenient. Check www.Way2Tahoe.com for updates on dates/times of the detour.

Lakeside Inn & Casino is offering its “No Echo, No Problem” package available April 20 through May 12 and will include lodging, a pitcher of beer and a commemorative “No Echo, No Problem” t-shirt. www.lakesideinn.com

MontBleu Resort Casino & Spa will have rooms for $59.95 with a second-night free, Sunday through Thursday, with a two night minimum. The night owls can live it up at popular Stateline hotspots and pad their gaming or party stipend through May with savings from this package. www.montbleuresort.com

Embassy Suites Lake Tahoe will be providing accommodations through May, Sunday – Thursday, for $119 per night – a $75 savings – with daily cooked-to-order breakfast and evening cocktail receptions. www.embassytahoe.com

Camp Richardson has incentives available for $250 per night that include nightly accommodations in lake-front cabins, a $50 dining certificate for The Beacon and four breakfast vouchers at The General Store & Café with the Romantic Spring Escape Package. www.camprichardson.com

South Shore in the spring offers an array of outdoor recreation including road biking, mountain biking, hiking, golf, boating, rock climbing, horseback riding, motorcycling touring, shopping, patio dining at lakefront restaurants along with gaming, 24-nightlife and entertainment.

An action-packed entertainment lineup for May includes: Sammy Hagar and The Wabos, May 6 and 7 at Harrah’s South Shore Room and SOJA, May 10 at MontBleu Resort Casino & Spa.

“The alternate route offers a multitude of roads and loops to explore, each with their own unique surprises,” said Carol Chaplin, executive director of the Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority. “The small sampling of places to go, people to see and things to do complement our geotourism initiatives and will make you want to encounter more of El Dorado County.”

Construction to replace an old rock wall with modern safety barriers along U.S. Highway 50 at Echo Summit is slated to begin around beginning of May weather permitting – exact project dates will be determined by weather forecasts that call for 10 days of clear weather.

While construction is in progress, travelers to South Shore will be directed to take alternate routes along scenic Highways 16, 49, 88 and 89 in Amador and El Dorado Counties and may take 35 minutes extra travel time, depending on number of stops along the way and conditions. Maps and trip planning tools are available for print or download via the Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority website and social media applications. Caltrans offers additional road closure information online at www.Way2Tahoe.com: a resource for maps, closure announcements and other special notices.

The Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority will launch photo and video contests on various social networks during the Echo Summit project, inviting travelers to South Shore, via alternate routes, the opportunity to share their adventures with friends and fans. A list including various points of interest along the detour route will be announced on LTVA social networks upon construction start. Contestants sharing the most photos corresponding to the scavenger hunt via Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Flickr will be entered into a drawing to receive two nights lodging at South Shore plus activity tickets valid through September 30, 2011 (some restrictions may apply).

For real time updates on events, promotions, packages, conditions and what’s happening in South Lake Tahoe, The Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority is Facebook: www.facebook.com/TahoeSouth, Twitter: www.twitter.com/SouthShoreTahoe, and YouTube: www.youtube.com/LTVA. For information about Lake Tahoe South Shore, call 1-800-AT-TAHOE (1-800-288-2463) or visit www.tahoesouth.com.