With preliminary Torrey Pines Road work completed, guardrail project preps for next phase

With the closure last week of the westbound right-turn lane and bike lane between Coast Walk and Prospect Place, drivers on La Jolla’s Torrey Pines Road experienced greater traffic than usual.

Now some fear this winter’s project to replace a white concrete barrier there with a new metal guardrail will make traffic even worse, though city officials say that might not be the case.

The temporary closure Aug. 18-22 was part of the design phase for the guardrail project. The work, usually done between 7:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., was completed as planned, San Diego city spokesman Tyler Becker told the La Jolla Light.

Next up is replacing the K-rail barrier with a “more robust” 350 feet of ST-75 bridge rail on the north side of Torrey Pines between Coast Walk and Prospect Place.

City project manager Nazie Mansury said the aim is to begin construction in the winter and finish by next summer.

During the preliminary phase, city crews completed pothole work and confirmed the locations of underground utilities before doing “other, minor activities.”

“It is important to collect this information while the project is in design to … prevent any potential conflicts during the construction phase that might lead to delays,” Becker told the Light.

The results of the preliminary work “will help determine specifics of the project scope,” Becker said, though he added that the previous plans remain in place.

Several residents said their travel time into the heart of La Jolla lasted as much as 40 minutes during the preliminary phase.

Resident Catharine Douglass pointed to the issue of safety, saying “the traffic issues that this first closure caused … is a huge problem, not only for commuters but for emergency vehicles trying to pass through this area.”

La Jolla Shores resident Janie Emerson said the traffic last week gave a taste of what’s to come. The construction, she said, could be “a nightmare” for tourists and residents alike — making it important to complete the project “at lightning speed.”

Residents and board members attending the La Jolla Traffic & Transportation Board’s July meeting spoke of the need to install a new guardrail but warned of the potential “horrible” effects on traffic, predicting “a mess” and “a disaster.”

City Council President Joe LaCava, whose District 1 includes La Jolla, told the Light that he acknowledges the inconveniences of the project but pointed to a key difference between the preliminary work and the upcoming construction.

As of now, the plan features a phase of nighttime work in which the northern westbound traffic lane and its neighboring bike lane would be closed, according to the city. The area is to be cleared for vehicle use during the day, barring unforeseen circumstances.

“[The] pre-construction work was done during daylight hours and caused considerable disruption and congestion,” LaCava said. “The actual construction, in contrast, will be done at night to avoid similar impacts.”

“Nevertheless, this project will be challenging,” he added. “Once work begins, we ask for the public’s patience as the city and contractor work to maximize safety and minimize congestion and disruption in delivering this critical safety improvement.”

The initial work will not include impacts to the sidewalk, but when the sidewalk eventually is closed for construction, pedestrians will be directed to the southern eastbound side of Torrey Pines Road.

“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,” according to a city statement to the Light.

The protected pathway will require closing the eastbound bike lane.

The guardrail project is a long time coming.

Its saga began in January 2018 when a car careened off Torrey Pines Road onto the adjacent hillside, landing in the yard of one of the Coast Walk houses below. Soon after, the K-rail was installed as a temporary protective measure.

A year later, efforts began to find a more permanent solution.