Construction Notices

Mid-Coast Trolley construction began in fall 2016. To find out more about the construction process, check out our Construction Info brochure in English and en Español.  

Current Activities

Full Closure of NB I-5 for Voigt Trolley Bridge Work: Full overnight closure of the northbound lanes of Interstate 5 continue on Thursday, December 13. A full northbound I-5 lane closure is scheduled from Thursday, December 13 to Friday, December 14. Work hours are from 10:30 p.m. to 5 a.m. the following morning. Lanes will be temporarily closed overnight to set the falsework for the Trolley overpass at Voigt Drive. Northbound motorists will be detoured via SR 52 East and I-805 North. Motorists should anticipate delays. Please note that closures are subject to change with little notice. 

View additional information.

Friars Road Closures: Full nighttime closures of Friars Road between Sea World Drive and Napa Street are scheduled from Monday, December 10 to Thursday, December 13 and Monday, December 17 to Thursday, December 20, to accommodate construction of the San Diego River Bridge. Work hours will be 7 p.m. to 5 a.m. each night.

View map. 

Northbound I-5 Balboa Avenue/Garnet Avenue Off-Ramp Closure: Intermittent, nighttime closures of the northbound I-5 off-ramp to Balboa Avenue/Garnet Avenue are scheduled from December through summer 2019. Crews will be signalizing the northbound I-5 off-ramp to Balboa Avenue/Garnet Avenue and will be shifting the off-ramp to newly constructed pavement adjacent to the existing off-ramp. A full weekend closure is anticipated in early 2019. Motorists will be detoured northbound on Mission Bay Drive to Balboa Avenue/Garnet Avenue. 

View additional information.

Morena Boulevard Traffic Shift and Removal of Temporary Retaining Wall: From Tuesday, December 4, to Thursday, December 6, traffic controls will be in place on Morena Boulevard between W. Morena Boulevard and Littlefield Street while construction crews remove a temporary retaining wall support system for the Mid-Coast Trolley. To accommodate this work, a closure of southbound Morena Boulevard will be in place, and both directions of traffic will be shifted to northbound Morena Boulevard. Work hours will be during the night, from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. Please expect noise during this process and use caution when traveling in the area. Construction crews will minimize impacts as much as possible while maintaining access for traffic in both directions.

View additional information. 

Balboa Avenue Railroad Bridge Demolition: Work to demolish the Balboa Avenue Railroad Bridge and construct a new railroad bridge began May 17 and will continue through early 2019. Construction of a railroad bridge spanning Balboa Avenue/Garnet Avenue is ongoing. To accommodate this work, lane and ramp closures, originally scheduled through October 2018, will be in place intermittently through early 2019. Work hours will be Sundays through Thursdays, 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. One lane each of westbound and eastbound traffic on Balboa Avenue/Garnet Avenue will remain open at all times. Motorists can expect the following intermittent traffic controls: 

  • Closures of westbound and eastbound Balboa Avenue/Garnet Avenue, from Interstate 5 to Moraga Avenue.
  • Closures of north and south Morena Boulevard on- and off-ramps.
  • Closure of the Balboa Avenue/Garnet Avenue off-ramp from northbound Interstate 5.

View additional information.

Underground Systems Work: Through summer 2019, construction crews will continue intermittent nighttime work on underground communication and electrical systems for the Mid-Coast Trolley within the railroad right-of-way between Taylor Street in Old Town and Cedar Street in Downtown San Diego. Crews will generally move north to south and will work at each intersection for about one month at a time. General work hours will be Sundays through Thursdays, 9 p.m. to 5 a.m., and some day and weekend work may be required. For more information on each work location, please view the fliers below:

Lane Reductions on La Jolla Village Drive: Beginning Sunday, September 9, continuing through mid- to late 2019, eastbound and westbound lanes of La Jolla Village Drive will be temporarily reduced to two lanes, between Costa Verde Blvd. and Executive Way. Crews will be erecting falsework to prepare for girder installation activities.

Morena Boulevard Lane Closures near Tecolote Road: A nighttime closure of northbound and southbound W. Morena Boulevard, from the W. Morena Boulevard/Morena Boulevard split to Vega Street, will be in place starting the week of September 4 through early December 2018 to accommodate utility work. The closure will be in effect Sundays through Thursdays, from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. Please follow the posted detour signs and traffic controls when traveling near the work area. 

View additional information. 

Temporary Realignment of Rose Canyon Bike Path and I-5 Impacts: Starting June 13, 2018, a southern portion of the Rose Canyon Bike Path will be temporarily relocated to the west side of the train tracks, east of Interstate 5 and north of Santa Fe Street, while crews construct a new, permanent path. The interim path will connect the north end of Santa Fe Street to about 1,000 feet north of State Route 52. A temporary realignment of the northern portion of the bike path is also in place, rerouting to a protected, temporary two-lane bikeway located on the outside shoulder of the northbound I-5 off-ramp. Sections of the permanent path will be reopened as they are completed starting in summer 2019. The full, permanent path is anticipated to open in 2020.

View additional information.

Morena Boulevard Construction Activities: Beginning May 2, northbound Morena Boulevard, from Balboa Avenue to Tecolote Road, will be reduced to one lane. Southbound Morena Boulevard is reduced to one lane of traffic in some areas. Work hours will be during the day, from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., but closures will remain in place 24 hours a day.

View additional information.

Genesee Avenue Traffic Shift: On January 2, 2018, crews began shifting traffic to the outer lanes of Genesee Avenue from La Jolla Village Drive to Nobel Drive. Crews also began construction on the viaduct - a bridge structure that will carry the Trolley down the middle of Genesee Avenue. This work is focused on Genesee Avenue, from Regents Road to Nobel Drive. Northbound and southbound lanes of Genesee Avenue will be restriped and shifted to the outer lanes from Regents Road to Nobel Drive while crews begin work in the median. Large drilling equipment will be set up within the median. Traffic control phasing and lane configuration may vary between day and night work hours. Traffic control signs, including necessary detours for motorists, pedestrians and bicyclists, will be posted. These types of traffic controls will be deployed at various times through early 2020.

View additional information.

Rose Creek Bikeway Construction: Preliminary construction of the Rose Creek Bikeway began in January 2018. Initial work included clearing and removing vegetation in the construction area near the creek between Santa Fe Street and I-5. Major construction began in June 2018, including construction of the trail, under-crossings, and a bridge. Project completion is anticipated in spring 2020.

View additional information.

Gilman Drive Bike Lane Near Rose Canyon Bike Path: A portion of the bike lane on Gilman Drive, below the I-5 freeway overpass, will be intermittently closed for project construction access. Cyclists will still be able to access the Rose Canyon Bike Path. Please exercise extra caution when traveling near the work area. 

View additional information.

Marian Bear Memorial Park: Crews have fenced off an area within the Rose Creek Channel, near the existing railroad tracks, for construction activities and staging equipment purposes. There will be no access along the Rose Creek channel between Marian Bear Memorial Park and Rose Creek open space. Users of the Marian Bear Park trail should avoid entering or passing through the construction area. Please follow direction of the posted signs.

Gilman Drive Bridge: Work began in late 2016 on I-5 near Gilman Drive to prepare for construction of the Gilman Drive Bridge. Crews have installed temporary barricades near Gilman Drive that will remain for approximately two years. The new bridge will connect the west and east sides of UC San Diego and span I-5.

View additional information.

Friars Road: In fall 2016, crews began work along Friars Road between Sea World Drive and Napa Street to build the San Diego River Bridge Double Track project in advance of construction on the Mid Coast Trolley project. Several traffic control phases involving multiple lane closures and shifts will be implemented in this area throughout the course of the project to help facilitate this work. The concrete barrier railing that has been placed on Friars Road is to support both projects and also is expected to last throughout the project duration. 

View construction notice.

Balboa Avenue: Crews continue to work nights to minimize impacts to local traffic. For all residents and businesses in the area, access to driveways will be maintained throughout the project. There may be some portions of roads closed or detoured at night. 

View additional information.

Community Presentations

2018

La Jolla Community Planning Association 

July 11: University City Planning Group 

Presentation

May 9: Clairemont Community Planning Group – Balboa Avenue Station Specific Plan Ad Hoc Sub-Committee

Presentation

May 9: University City Planning Group 

Presentation

2017

March 16: Irvine Company Construction Info Sessions

Display Boards | Presentation

2016

November 9: University City Community Association

Display Boards

November 8: PS Rose Canyon 

Presentation

October 22: Groundbreaking Event

Invitation | Display Boards

September 20: Clairemont Community Planning Group

Presentation

August 18: Canyon Park Apartments Open House

Display Boards

July 26: Irvine Company Construction Info Sessions

Display Boards | Presentation

March 29: La Jolla Colony Open House

Display Boards

Stay Informed

To stay up-to-date on the Mid-Coast Trolley project, follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook, sign-up to receive our newsletter, or contact the project team with questions at midcoast@sandag.org or (877) 379-0110.

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