US-50 Chain Controls
No active chain controls are reported on US-50 as of Jul 22, 2026, 7:21 PM PDT; source freshness: healthy; coverage: full.
Active chain-control locations
No active chain controls reported on US-50 as of Jul 22, 2026, 7:21 PM PDT.
What the Caltrans R levels mean
This guide covers the public R-0 through R-3 subset. Caltrans publishes additional chain-control and traffic-control status codes.
- R-0
- R-0 — No restrictions.
- R-1
- R-1 — Chains are required except for qualifying passenger vehicles and light-duty trucks under 6,000 pounds with snow tires on at least two drive wheels; vehicles using the snow-tire exception must carry chains, and trailer chain requirements still apply.
- R-2
- R-2 — Chains or traction devices are required except for four-wheel/all-wheel-drive vehicles with snow-tread tires on all four wheels; exempt vehicles must still carry traction devices.
- R-3
- R-3 — Chains or traction devices are required on all vehicles; no exceptions.
Caltrans states that vehicles must carry traction devices before entering a chain-control area, including vehicles exempt from installation under the posted requirement.
Definition authority: Caltrans Chain Controls / Chain Installation.
MountainSwitch does not determine whether a route should be driven. Verify with Caltrans before traveling.