DEL MAR — Crews are expecting to complete road repair along San Dieguito Drive by Saturday after a partial road failure reduced traffic to one lane earlier this week.
The Wednesday road collapse on the 1800 block of San Dieguito Drive left a guardrail hanging and exposed a sewer line, according to the city. Crews immediately stabilized the slope with rocks and riprap.
Engineers and a geologist developed a repair plan on Thursday and immediately got to work, city officials said. Traffic control measures will remain in place through Friday, and two-way traffic on the narrow but heavily-used road is expected to resume Saturday.
Simultaneously, crews are conducting unrelated emergency repairs to a leaking water line discovered underneath San Dieguito Drive earlier this month.
Crews with San Diego Gas & Electric found the leak in a 20-inch steel water main underneath the road while trenching as part of the city’s power line undergrounding project. Workers removed approximately one foot of asphalt and noted water coming up from below, according to the city.
The line was immediately isolated and crews made adjustments to maintain water service for all residents. City officials have contracted Southland to perform emergency repairs which will cost around $60,000, funds which the city council will be asked to approve at their meeting this coming Monday.
Following excavation on March 13, Southland crews identified a broken coupling as the cause of the leak. Repair work involves additional excavating, dewatering, shoring, mechanical fitting, welding, testing, backfill, and resurfacing, according to a staff report.
The project is expected to be completed in around two months.
