As the delayed replacement of a long-standing K-rail barrier on a section of Torrey Pines Road in La Jolla approaches this summer, so does completion of the city of San Diego’s final traffic control plan for the project.
The work will replace the 8-year-old concrete K-rail on the north side of Torrey Pines between Coast Walk and Prospect Place with 350 feet of metal bridge rail.
Torrey Pines Road guardrail construction now slated to begin next summer
As of now, the traffic control draft features a phase of nighttime work in which the northern, westbound traffic lane and its neighboring bike lane would be closed. During the day, the area would be cleared for vehicle use, barring unforeseen circumstances.
The primary phase does not include impact to the sidewalk. But when the sidewalk eventually is closed for construction, pedestrians would be directed to the south side of Torrey Pines Road.
According to a statement from the city, “a partial temporary protected pathway is proposed with pedestrian crossings of Torrey Pines Road at Prospect Place and the existing crosswalk between Amalfi Street and Princess Street.”
The protected pathway would require closing the eastbound bike lane and installing a water-filled barrier down the hill where the sidewalk ends to protect pedestrians from traffic.
City spokesman Tyler Becker told the La Jolla Light that the most recent plans, dated Dec. 8, have not undergone significant changes since earlier last year.
Local resident Kathleen Neil and La Jolla Traffic & Transportation Board Chairman Erik Gantzel passed along project details at the board’s Feb. 17 meeting.
The latest available traffic control plan for a Torrey Pines Road guardrail project is dated Dec. 8. (City of San Diego)
They said they plan to forward two primary requests to the city: adding an extra foot or so behind the water-filled barrier to further protect pedestrians and moving one of the “Bike lane closed” signs to the intersection of Prospect Place for better visibility.
Becker said the project is out for bid to contractors — a process he estimated could take a few months.
He said certain elements of the project can be adjusted depending on feasibility. However, significant changes could impact the timeline or cost, he said.
Construction already is expected to take place months after it was originally planned. Barring any unforeseen changes, it now is to start in the summer and be finished by the end of 2026.
“I think it’s probably safe to assume that changes are unlikely unless there’s something the city agrees is wrong or highly inadvisable,” Gantzel said.
Still, several residents on Coast Walk — a dead-end residential area with no direct access to The Village — hope some adjustments can be made to prevent what they see as a traffic disaster waiting to happen in their neighborhood.
A sign indicates the area is not a through street, but residents say the busier Torrey Pines Road is, the more likely people will be to drive into their neighborhood seeking a way around the traffic.
Residents specifically asked for sound abatement barriers to shield houses from construction noise, paving potholes to prepare for potentially increased traffic, and adjusted construction hours.
Currently the project calls for construction between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m. weekdays.
Resident Brenda Fake said it is “unacceptable” and adding “insult to injury” to the neighborhood that construction could run overnight until 5 in the morning. She suggested 6 p.m. to 2 a.m.
With or without last-minute adjustments, the guardrail project is expected to have significant effects on residents and visitors during the construction period. With that in mind, Neil said she is working to get the word out.
“The city has agreed to put together a flier … and then we as a community will distribute that flier prior to the construction start,” Neil said. “We’ll try to do everything we can to publicize it so drivers are aware.”
La Jolla Traffic & Transportation Board members meet Feb. 17. (Noah Lyons)
The project is a long time coming.
Its saga began in January 2018 when a car careened off Torrey Pines Road onto an adjacent hillside, landing in the yard of one of the Coast Walk houses below. Soon after, the concrete K-rail was installed as a temporary protective measure.
A year later, efforts began to find a more permanent solution. The 42-inch-tall ST-75 bridge rail is see-through and designed to be more robust than the K-rail.
The project is expected to be fully funded by the time construction begins.
It originally was slated for a winter start and summer completion, but the timeline was adjusted “due to the addition of pothole activity [while] confirming the location of underground utilities,” San Diego spokesman Caleb Olsen previously told the Light. ♦