DEL MAR, Calif. — The San Diego Association of Governments, which last year expanded the number of potential routes for a tunnel to replace the rail line along the Del Mar bluffs, has again narrowed the possibilities, this time to three choices, the San Diego Union-Tribune reports.
At one time, the planning agency had cut the number of potential routes to two, but objections from residents of the upscale community (average home value, $3.73 million, according to Zillow) led SANDAG to backtrack and consider 11 potential routes as of late last year [see “Routes for Del Mar rail tunnel multiply,” Trains News Wire, Nov. 29, 2023].
Now, according to a notice preceding an environmental impact report for the proposed 1.7-mile tunnel, the number of prospective routes has again been refined. That notice begins a 45-day period for people to submit written comments on the route proposals; those comments will be included in the draft environmental report. The comment period ends July 19; details on how to comment are included in the notice. A public meeting is also set for June 18 at 6 p.m,. at the San Diego Marriott Del Mar.
Del Mar Mayor Dave Druker told the Union-Tribune in an email that the city would respond to the notice at its July 8 meeting, and will likely ask that the comment period be extended to 60 days.
Preliminary estimates have placed the cost of the tunnel at $4 billion, although it is likely to be significantly higher. No funding has yet been allotted for construction.
The tunnel is considered a eventual necessity because of ongoing erosion of the bluffs along the Pacific Ocean that threaten the blufftop route used by Amtrak’s Pacific Surfliners, Coaster commuter trains, and BNSF freight traffic. SANDAG is currently involved in a fifth phase of construction to slow that erosion and protect the rail line.
Alternate “A” appears the safest. Although longer and therefore more expensive it may be easier to get tunneling started underneath I-5 about 1/2 the distance. Alternate “C” appears too close to the ocean. In the very unlikely event of a major earthquake along its route there is the possibility that a major crack could drop the tunnel to where it would be completely unusable.
Instead of wasting money on a tunnel…learn from the British and how they fixed the problem in Dalish with the sea wall…could easily do the same for the Del Mar Bluffs without moving the track and wasting tax money on tunnel.
If it is a tunnel project, what difference does it make what kind of housing is on top of it. Be it a 150k home or 3.7m dollar home.Do like railroads do in an average or poor neighborhood and run it through their backyards.
Finance the tunnel by selling ocean front building lots. No federal tax money, please.
Good luck with that….
Or put a lien on the coastal properties for the increase in value from moving the tracks from the properties.
OR ELSE ERIK —— Have your great-grandchildren hire an expert in tax increment financing. This project ain’t going nowhere any time soon. California’s credit rating for construction bonds can’t be very high right now. And sooner or later no matter which party will be in control at the federal level, we will tire of bailing out California.
@Charles Landey…
California is still the 5th largest economy in the world and states don’t get different credit ratings for different kinds of bonds…they get one rating that applies to all bonds. Just like people have one credit rating(well, 3 if you count the 3 different agencies) and corporations have 1 credit rating(with the same caveat).