All train service between Oceanside and San Diego will be canceled Saturday and Sunday as construction crews approach the completion of the fourth phase of the Del Mar Bluffs stabilization project.
The project made up of six phases ensures safe and efficient travel on the coastal rail corridor.
Chair of the California Transportation Commission, Hilary Norton, came to visit Del Mar on Friday to check on the progress of the project.
“We are pleased to be working on this because this is part of the second busiest rail corridor in the nation, supporting more than a billion dollars in goods movement per year,” said Norton.
The renovations in the fourth phase included sea wall replacements, drainage improvements and additional piles to support the railroad tracks.
Matthew Tucker, North County Transit District executive director, said the improvements were needed due to erosion and the rising sea levels in the bluff segment of the corridor.
“Were going to continue to do the inspections, continue to engage with our engineers because, again, mother nature is in charge,” he said. “Whatever we design today may require additional reinforcement over time.”
SANDAG and the North County Transit District have completed three stabilization projects of the Del Mar bluffs in 2003, 2007 and 2009.
Both agencies are planning for phases five and six, of the project, to further stabilize the bluffs and reinforce the trackbed.
The fifth phase is currently in design. Construction is expected to begin next summer, while the sixth phase is currently entering design.
Officials are trying to identify a long term solution for the bluff segment of the corridor, Tucker said.
“We continue to look forward to the future to make sure that we can identify that right project to support permanent relocation of the tracks,” he said.
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