Amtrak and Coaster service paused over the weekend for SANDAG crews to work directly on the tracks.
DEL MAR, Calif. — Erosion along Del Mar’s scenic bluffs has long threatened homes, beaches and the busy coastal rail line. Crews with SANDAG are now deep into Phase 5 of a multi-year effort to stabilize the cliffs, a short-term fix expected to hold for the next 30 years. Residents say they’re seeing progress, but they know it’s far from the final answer.
Bluff collapses are a constant concern for people living near the cliffs, and for some, a frightening experience.
“You could hear it happening, and then you look back and you see the rock already fell, and you’re like, ‘Whoa, that could have been my head.’ So, yeah, so I did worry about it a lot, now I’m not so worried,” Marci, who has lived in Del Mar for 30 years, said.
Marci walks the trail and beach near the bluffs almost every day. She said she’s noticed big changes over the past year.
“They have put a wall up over on the ocean side, and I just feel like it’s just fabulous because it’s protecting us,” She said. “I feel safer when I’m walking on the beach, I feel like the bluff isn’t going to fall on me.”
Over the weekend, Coaster and Amtrak service paused so crews could work directly over the tracks. According to SANDAG, workers installed additional support columns, extended seawalls and improved drainage systems.
Overnight crews are also stabilizing columns, excavating, and building walls—activity that nearby residents can both see and hear.
“We live right around the corner, and we hear them when the projects kick off at night, working throughout the night, loud, strange noises and lots of light,” Resident Andrew Greaves said.
While progress has been made, much of the work is still to come. Current and upcoming projects include drainage ditch installation through October between 11th and 10th Streets, the closure of Southern Sea Cliff Park until mid-2026, and the installation of splash walls at 6th Street and Sherrie Lane to contain stormwater and prevent erosion.
Phase Five construction began last spring and is scheduled to run through 2027. The $88 million project is funded by state, federal and local sources.
Despite the noise and closures, residents said the investment is worth it.
“Living here, we enjoy the view, and we like having dolphins in the backyard. But like, actually having a bluff that’s not going to collapse, for sure,” Andrew said.
“It’s money well spent,” Marci said.
In addition to Phase 5, geotechnical work for the LOSSAN rail realignment project began two weeks ago. The testing will study the underground soil structure to guide potential options for relocating the tracks as a long-term solution to protect the rail corridor. That work will continue in various parts of Del Mar for several months.