The California Transportation Foundation (CTF) awarded the North County Transit District (NCTD), in conjunction with the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG), Caltrans District 11, HDR Engineering, Inc., and Flatiron-Skanska-Stacy-Witbeck (FSSW) the Transit/Rail Project of the Year.
The CTF Transportation Award recognizes excellence in California transportation for all modes, public and private sector, and from all regions of the state.
The San Elijo Lagoon Double Track project was completed as part of “Build NCC”, or the first phase of the North Coast Corridor Program, which also includes extending the carpool lanes on Interstate 5 from Lomas Santa Fe Drive in Solana Beach to State Route 78 in Oceanside, new bike and pedestrian trails and the restoration of the San Elijo Lagoon.
“Projects like the San Elijo Lagoon Double Track project will support multimodal transportation improvements throughout the region for years to come,” said SANDAG Board Chair and Poway Mayor Steve Vaus. “Passenger rail services are expected to double over the next decade, and these projects will help our region keep pace with demand.”
The San Elijo Lagoon Double Track project is a rail improvement project that extends between the cities of Encinitas and Solana Beach. The project added 1.5 miles of second main track from Cardiff-by-the-Sea to the southern border of the San Elijo Lagoon and replaced the more than 80-year-old wooden trestle San Elijo Lagoon rail bridge with a modern, double-track, concrete bridge.
The new double track creates more than four miles of continuous double track on the LOSSAN coastal rail corridor, eliminating the need for meeting or passing trains to take turns using the single track.
“As part of the 40-year, $6-billion I-5 Build NCC Public Works Plan, projects like the San Elijo Lagoon Double Track are an example of how our relationships with transportation and regional partners lead to more options for travelers,” said Caltrans District Director Gustavo Dallarda. “Across the state, Caltrans’ efforts to jointly plan and coordinate multi-faceted transportation programs for more pedestrian, bike and transit-oriented facilities will lead to increased efficiencies and safety for people and goods.”
Other improvements include:
- Adding a new pedestrian undercrossing at the south end of the lagoon;
- Upgrading signaling and safety at the Chesterfield Drive grade crossing;
- Reconfiguring a rail switch; and
- Constructing a low retaining wall north of the lagoon to keep the rail tracks separated from the lagoon inlet below the height of the railroad.
“NCTD appreciates CTF for recognizing the San Elijo Lagoon Double Track project at this year’s awards. Double tracking through the sensitive habitat of the lagoon in a responsible way is a major step toward providing more efficient rail service in our region and offering the best customer experience to our riders,” said Tony Kranz, NCTD board chair and Encinitas councilmember.
The project is also compatible with the extension of the Coastal Rail Trail for bikes and pedestrians in Encinitas. The Coastal Rail Trail is a 44-mile system of planned bike facilities between the cities of Oceanside and San Diego. This bike trail is intended to provide a safe and comfortable bike riding environment that is separated from motor vehicle traffic.
SANDAG and Caltrans also won Structure Project of the Year for the Gilman Drive Bridge project, which provided a second connection between University of California San Diego and University City over I-5.
