DEL MAR, Calif. — As the San Diego Association of Governments considers potential routes for a rail tunnel to replace the Surf Line route along the Del Mar bluffs, it can rest assured of one thing: Whatever it does, someone will be unhappy.
SANDAG recently chose three potential routes for the tunnel in order to begin the environmental-report process [see “Planning agency narrows potential routes …,” Trains News Wire, June 5, 2024]. Initial response suggested most Del Mar residents preferred “Alternative A,” which would in part follow Interstate 5 and likely tunnel under fewer homes than the others. That would also make it the longest and most expensive of the three choices.
But that option includes one portal at the Del Mar Fairgrounds, and KUSI-TV reports fairgrounds officials are not happy about that prospect.
“How do we sell events in terms, ‘Come have an event next to this giant hole in the ground?’ Tristan Hallman, the fairgrounds’ chief communications officer, told the station. The proposed route is “where the midway is, where the carnival is,” Hallman said.
The fairgrounds is concerned about the impact on the annual San Diego County Fair, but on events it hosts year-round. Hallman says the facility has an annual economic impact of $680 million, with the fair accounting for $237 million of that.
SANDAG is still accepting comments on the route proposals through July 19. Information on commenting is available here.
Boondoggle!!!!!
Whatever the choice of routes, the taxpayers are gonna get burned, big Time!!!
The Del Mar Fairgrounds/Racetrack is not all that much above sea level, so any tunnel running under it would be have track below sea level. I have a preference for option C, which would be safe from cliff erosion for a minimum of several hundred years as well as being the least expensive.
Agree on C, it utilizes most of the existing right of way and minimizes the amount of tunneling (therefore cost) while giving benefits spanning centuries.
…
Time for the powers to be go tell the whiners, fairgrounds folks, to go pound sand for once. Somehow the Fairgrounds generate all this economic activity with an existing rail line so what is truly the difference.
With respect to Alternative C:
Looking at a topo map and aerial shots of the area, it looks like a few houses near the north portal would need to be removed for construction, but doesn’t look like any houses near the south portal would need to be moved. Construction activity will affect people living in the area. I’m wondering what tunneling technology would be used in this project.
With Respect to Alternatives A & B:
Back in the first half of the 90’s, I’d often drive to Carmel Valley Rd from Sorrento Valley Rd for lunch at Anna’s Cafe (closed in 1996). Since then, the northern end of Sorrento Valley Rd was closed and I see the route used by both A&B pretty much follows the closed section.
As for Alternative A, the route goes through wetlands that were restored by So Cal Edison as a compensation for construction at San Onofre, so the tunnel would have to be deep enough not to disturb the wetlands – meaning that it would be well below sea level. This would rule out an above ground station for the fairgrounds/racetrack, hence some sort of underground station with problems with flooding.
My opinion is if Del Mar wants “A”, then they can come up with the cost difference between A and C. What I’d really like to see is a tunnel between Sorrento Valley and Rose Canyon with an underground station underneath the UTC Transit station which could be an enormous boost for ridership on the Coasters.
Build an underground station for the County Fair at Jimmy Durante. You are already spending billions, whats a few hundred million more?
Considering that so much of California has slide and earthquake risks, why would you spend colossal amounts of money to put this underground? There isn’t ANY above-ground option, perhaps with one or two short tunnels? And why would you even consider the option that is so close to the deteriorating shoreline? Or is this all being driven by political considerations, i.e. NIMBY for above-ground routes? The underground options just seem unreal.