Celebration at Preuss kicks off mid-coast trolley construction

Photos courtesy of Erik Jepsen and Lilly Tang/UC San Diego Publications.

A groundbreaking ceremony for the 11-mile extension of the San Diego Trolley’s Blue Line was held on Manchester Field at the Preuss School over the weekend. The San Diego Association of Governments opened the event to the public on Saturday, Oct. 22, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. to commemorate the official start of construction for the Mid-Coast project, which will cost $2.1 billion and reach completion in 2021.

The event welcomed members of the community to learn more about the extension and its projected timeline of construction, as well as enjoy free food, live music, and activities.

Specific to the UCSD campus, construction work has already begun at the intersection of Genesee Avenue and Eastgate Mall for utility relocation work. According to SANDAG’s notice, UCSD students should expect temporary lane closures until spring of 2017.

According to the project website, concrete dates of impact have yet to be determined as they are subject to change according to the changes in the trolley construction schedule. The construction will impact parking lots P705, P702, and P701, mainly concentrated on the East Campus near the Medical Center.

A significant portion of P705 is expected to close in mid-October and will remain closed for the duration of construction.
P702 is expected to close permanently in November.
A small portion of P701 will be impacted by construction fencing.

In addition, Lyman Lane and Warren Field will experience immediate impacts. In Warren Field, chain link fencing separates the project site from the modified fields that are open for use. Lyman Lane will have intermittent street and pedestrian impacts. Traffic control and flaggers will be in place and temporary throughway accommodations will be provided. Bike lanes will be intermittently impacted as construction progresses while traffic control measures will be in place or temporary detours may be added.

The Mid-Coast project will extend the Blue Line from Old Town, up along Interstate 5 to UC San Diego and UTC. There will be nine new trolley stations built as part of the project including one stop at the VA Medical Center and two UC San Diego stops: Pepper Canyon, serving the west campus, and Voigt Drive, serving the east campus.

Cindy Zhan is a staff writer at The Triton. This article was compiled with help from Shine Cho, Assistant News Editor.