CARLSBAD — Timing was on the side of the city as high tides once again slammed the coastline.
Crews placed two- and four-ton boulders Monday along an area of Coast Highway 101 near a lifeguard tower south of Island Way at South Carlsbad State Beach.
According to Carlsbad Director of Public Works Pat Thomas, the boulders were placed just in time after a lengthy permitting process from the California Coastal Commission.
Tuesday’s king tide blasted the coastline, similar to conditions last week, which left the beach eroded and carved out the bluffs.
“That is taking place on the south side of the Encinas Bridge,” Thomas said. “It took us a long time to get Coastal Commission approval.”
The area next to the tower, Thomas said, was eroded last year and the city received the permit last week.
As for the recent area affected last week north of the Encinas Bridge, Thomas said work is expected to commence soon after the City Council approved an emergency measure last week.
“For the northern section, we are trying to expedite by going through this more emergency-type process,” he added.
According to the National Weather Service’s San Diego office, two weather systems will bring “unsettled” periods of rain, while king tides appeared Tuesday and continue through the week. In addition, the tides could result in flooding of low-lying coastal areas.
A king tide is a high tide event and is common with storms or floods.
The city, meanwhile, still has closed a quarter-mile stretch of one southbound lane on the highway, which will remain so for as long as it takes to repair the embankment. Thomas previously said the road could reopen between 30 and 60 days, although cautioned it could take longer due to various factors including obtaining permits.
Last week, massive waves shredded about 300 to 400 feet of the bluff near the highway, eroding the buffer away and leaving rocks covering the shore.
