ENCINITAS — The Encinitas City Council voted on May 17 to close a temporary roadway link at the southern end of Crest Drive and construct a permanent gate once sinkhole repairs along Lake Drive are complete.
The council’s unanimous vote came after hearing from over 30 concerned Cardiff residents who shared their frustrations with traffic flowing through the once-quiet neighborhood street.
After significant rain events hit California earlier this year, a giant sinkhole became difficult for the city in late February, forcing Lake Drive to close due to safety concerns. The closure left many neighborhood residents, including several housing developments near San Elijo Lagoon, with no road access in or out of the area.
As the timeline to repair the sinkhole continued to grow, contractors built an emergency roadway link between Wales Drive and Crest Drive, sending traffic to Crest Drive to improve traffic flow for stranded residents.
Crest Drive is narrow and does not have any sidewalks. For years, the roadway was isolated from traffic and perfect for pedestrians. But since it opened with a 25 mph speed limit, many people living on or near the road have complained about safety concerns.
“It causes me anxiety every day,” said Sarah Swiss, a Crest Drive resident with a 5-month-old daughter. “I’m constantly dodging cars… and it’s not a question of if someone going to get hit or killed, it’s when.”
Two designs were drawn up as possible solutions to address the issues along Crest Drive, including installing a gate across the roadway connection link or keeping the connection open to traffic.
The gate, estimated to cost $100,000, is what many of the 30 residents favored at Wednesday’s meeting. This option replaces the temporary pavement with new asphalt done to city standards, and only firefighting personnel could remotely open the gate during emergencies due to the neighborhood’s high fire risk.
The other option of keeping the road open, estimated to cost $120,000, would have included new pavement, additional traffic analysis, and other documentation required because the area is in the state Coastal Commission’s review zone.
While the majority supported the construction of a barrier for its multiple safety standards, some favored keeping the road open as they feared the electronic gate might malfunction if there was an emergency.
The city’s fire chief and employees reassured the public that if there were an issue or a power outage, the gate’s default setting would leave it open.
“We are all very excited about the Lake Drive sinkhole project wrapping up, believe me, ” Mayor Tony Kranz said as the hearing closed with applause. “We’re ready for this to happen.”
