Residents and commuters who frequent the top of Soledad Mountain Road in La Jolla may soon get to breathe a sigh of relief with the completion of a pipeline replacement project, but construction in the area is not quite over yet.
Orange plastic blockades, fencing, tarps and A-frames will remain the rest of this year in front of San Diego French-American School at 6550 Soledad Mountain Road near where it meets La Jolla Scenic Drive South. That’s because it contains equipment associated with a nearby pump station upgrade that is set to be completed in 2027.
A pump station is a facility for pumping fluids, typically water, from one place to another. It is sometimes needed where there are gravitational challenges such as moving water from lower elevation to higher elevation.
City of San Diego spokesman Tyler Becker said the project to upgrade the Soledad Pump Station “required installing a booster pump as a backup for the La Jolla Country Club Pump Station while the Soledad Pump Station is shut off for construction.” The booster pump equipment is being stored and operated near 6550 Soledad Mountain Road.
The Soledad Pump Station project will replace the existing pump station and install four new pumps and a new pressure relief valve. It also will replace the security system, install equipment needed to run the new pumps, and replace about 350 feet of 16-inch pipelines.
Becker said “the booster pump is in the city’s right of way and does not impact the flow of traffic.”
But others aren’t so sure.
“This equipment creates a pain point for those making a U-turn to drop off kids at [San Diego French-American School] since they have to make a tighter turn than in years past and it slows down traffic at the intersection more than it would otherwise,” resident Timothy Schenck said.
Some noted an absence of construction crews there and voiced concern that the work had been stalled or abandoned.
But Becker said “the booster pump site is designed to look ‘inactive,’ although it is fully operational,” Becker said. “All active work on the Soledad Pump Station upgrade is currently confined to the site located north of the intersection of Soledad Mountain Road and La Jolla Scenic South Drive.”
Thus, the equipment will remain at the 6550 Soledad Mountain Road location until construction at the Soledad Pump Station concludes, which the city expects in the first quarter of 2027.
The fencing and barricades are immediately adjacent to a section of Soledad Mountain Road that experienced construction activities in recent months to upsize existing 12-inch pipes to 16 inches and replace a nearby fire hydrant to improve water flow and connectivity to the Soledad and La Jolla Country Club reservoirs.
That work began in October but experienced rain delays. City spokeswoman Jennifer McBride said in February that it would conclude at the end of that month, to be followed by “a flushing and testing process to verify it meets regulatory standards.” Then eventually the road will be restored, she said.
Isabelle David, head of San Diego French-American School, said at the time that the work “has had a significant impact on the [school] community. It creates daily traffic congestion, particularly during morning drop-off, which leads to students often arriving late. … Frustration among families has been growing due to the ongoing delays and lack of clear communication about what work is currently being done.” ♦