La Jollans are bracing for an upcoming Torrey Pines Road guardrail installation project to be a “mess” for motorists, bicyclists and pedestrians in an already congested area. But many consider the replacement of a long-standing K-rail barrier a necessity.
The project sets out to replace the existing white concrete barrier with 350 feet of ST-75 bridge rail on the north side of Torrey Pines Road between Coast Walk and Prospect Place.
Larry Thornburgh, director of engineering at Nasland Engineering, said the 42-inch-tall post-and-beam-style metal railing is see-through and “more robust than the K-rail.”
Some 350 feet of bridge rail is planned to replace a K-rail barrier on the north side of Torrey Pines Road between Coast Walk and Prospect Place. (Noah Lyons)
The replacement project now has a draft plan for traffic control, which those involved with the project emphasize is subject to change.
As of now, the draft 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 of San Diego. During the day, the area would be cleared for vehicle use, barring unforeseen circumstances.
Under the plan, the primary phase does not include impact to the sidewalk. But when the sidewalk eventually is closed for construction, pedestrians would be directed to the south side of Torrey Pines Road.
According to a statement from the city sent to the La Jolla Light, “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.”
The protected pathway would require closing the eastbound bike lane.
The plan currently is under review, said city project manager Nazie Mansury.
Time frames for different phases of the project have not been provided so far.
La Jollan Kathleen Neil shared renderings of the plans at the July 15 La Jolla Traffic & Transportation Board meeting, along with some of her interpretations of the project.
“We really don’t want this road closed at all for this purpose, but there’s no way around it,” Neil said.
The T&T Board encouraged the idea of gathering feedback on the proposal.
The conversation carried over to the July 16 La Jolla Shores Association meeting as trustees Neil and Mike McCormack briefed the group about T&T’s discussion.
La Jolla resident Kathleen Neil shares her takeaways from a draft traffic control plan for Torrey Pines Road during the La Jolla Traffic & Transportation Board’s meeting July 15. (Noah Lyons)
McCormack spoke at both meetings about bicyclist safety. The plans feature a temporary water-filled barrier on the south side of Torrey Pines Road that he worries could be “a cycle trap.” He also emphasized the importance of motorists and bicyclists coexisting during the construction period.
Still, McCormack said the new guardrail is important.
“The reality is, if you want that barrier so cars don’t go flying off into the houses, then we’re going to be dealing with a significant impact to our traffic,” he said at the LJSA meeting.
Board members and others described the potential effects on Torrey Pines Road traffic as a “disaster” and “horrible.”
“There’s no winners in this,” said T&T member John Bauer. “Bikers aren’t being discriminated against any more than pedestrians and cars.”
But one person chimed in that “the winners are everybody once it’s done.”
Mansury said in January that construction was expected to begin in the winter and that the project was on track to be completed by summer 2026. She told the Light this week that the completion target remains the same.
A permanent railing and more lighting have been discussed for years.
In January 2018, 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.
The following year, the K-rail was vandalized with graffiti. After that, an effort began to redesign the rail with a permanent solution.
In February 2022, the San Diego City Council provided a $718,700 grant from the California Department of Transportation’s Highway Safety Improvement Program to support the design and construction. Additional funding provided by the city brought the total to nearly $1 million. ♦