SANDAG is set to begin a three-year construction project later this month to stabilize Del Mar’s ocean bluffs to protect the adjoining railroad tracks.
This section of track has been repeatedly closed by landslides and erosion, threatening San Diego’s only railroad link to the rest of the United States.
“The economy depends on this connection for both passenger and freight transport, but landslides, rapid erosion, and seismic activity have caused collapses along the Del Mar bluffs,” according to SANDAG.
Crews will install concrete-and-steel “soldier piles” and cable tie-backs, improve drainage and build seawalls along a 1.6-mile-stretch from Coast Boulevard south to Carmel Valley Road. Construction is expected to run through the spring of 2027.
The work will take place along sections of the upper and lower bluffs and the beach during normal business hours, on Sunday and Monday nights, and during pre-scheduled weekends.
The night work is expected to begin in mid-April, and nearby residents could hear noise and see lights from heavy equipment. This work is necessary because of train traffic during the day.
The $78 million project is funded from a combination of state, federal, and local sources.
A related program to improve pedestrian access along the railway is expected to begin construction late 2026.