CARLSBAD — Caltrans and San Diego Association of Governments construction crews will resume work within Batiquitos Lagoon in Carlsbad this weekend as part of a double-track project.
The work, scheduled to begin at 10 p.m. Saturday and continue through 4 a.m. Sunday, was previously scheduled for the weekend of Oct. 10 but was postponed due to inclement weather.
According to SANDAG, the work will include rail destressing, a process that allows rails to safely expand and contract with temperature changes and is a critical part of track installation. Work will be concentrated on the tracks just south of the La Costa Avenue overcrossing.
The Batiquitos Lagoon Double Track Project is intended to “increase the reliability, operational flexibility and capacity of the LOSSAN rail corridor by adding a second track from Avenida Encinas in Carlsbad to La Costa Avenue in Encinitas across the Batiquitos Lagoon,” allowing trains to continue traveling without slowing down or stopping.
The project will also replace the existing 80-year-old wooden trestle bridge with a modern, double-track steel-and-concrete structure.
“Once completed, the new rail bridge will widen the lagoon channels underneath the bridge, improving tidal and flood flows for local wildlife,” a SANDAG statement read.
The public should expect construction noise from equipment and vehicle backup alarms, equipment and materials stored alongside the railroad tracks within the railroad right-of-way, and additional lighting for crew safety.
