Chesterfield Avenue closed at the rail crossing in Cardiff-by-the-Sea; new rail to be installed in San Diego near Santa Fe Street
San Diego County CA— A scheduled rail closure will be in effect this weekend to complete significant construction and mainframe work that can only be done without trains on the track. The rail closure affects four railroads operating on the rail corridor: North County Transit District (NCTD), Metrolink, Amtrak, and the freight carrier BNSF.
Called an Absolute Work Window (AWW) in rail parlance, the closure will be in effect from Saturday, March 10 at midnight to early morning on Monday, March 12. The rail line will be open in time for the Monday morning commute. This is the second weekend in a row the rail has been closed for construction improvements and laying new track on the San Diego regional segment of the Los Angeles – San Diego – San Luis Obispo (LOSSAN) rail line.
SANDAG is double-tracking much of the rail corridor to improve capacity for all four operators and to prepare for installing the light rail track for the Mid-Coast Trolley extension from the Old Town Transit Center to University City. This weekend, tracks will be moved and replaced, new rail will be installed, and new railroad ties will be installed.
In the Cardiff-by-the-Sea neighborhood of Encinitas, construction crews will install the second railroad track across Chesterfield Drive, which will necessitate the closure of the intersection to motorists. The closure will begin Friday, March 9, at 8 p.m. and be in place through 3 a.m. on Monday morning. Access for pedestrians and bicyclists will be maintained and detour signage will direct motorists around the closure. This work is part of the San Elijo Lagoon Double Track Project and is expected to be complete in 2019. View the project map.
In San Diego, crews will be transporting dirt, installing track, and constructing walls within the railroad right-of-way along Santa Fe Street and Morena Boulevard. This project is being constructed concurrently with the Mid-Coast Corridor Transit Project, for which crews also will be installing track and conducting utility work within the railroad right-of-way and at Littlefield Street. This work is part of the Elvira to Morena Double Track Project, which is expected to be complete in 2020. View the project map.
In Oceanside and Camp Pendleton, NCTD and Metrolink crews will be conducting maintenance activities in the railroad right-of-way.
For a schedule of alternate routes, visit GoNCTD.com.