SAN MARCOS — Crews are kicking off a six-month road rehabilitation project along Rancho Santa Fe Road in San Marcos, bringing several needed improvements to 1.3 miles of the busy roadway.
The nearly $4 million project, funded by Transnet dollars, covers the stretch between Melrose Drive and Lake Ridge Drive. Improvements will include new pavement, roadway restriping, improved signal loops, traffic signal safety cameras, and new ADA curb ramps.
While construction will likely cause commuters headaches over the coming months, city officials say the end result will be worth it.
“This project is a critical step forward for the community and underscores our commitment to a safe and strong San Marcos,” said San Marcos Mayor Rebecca Jones. “We know this is a busy stretch of roadway in our community, which makes the goal of this project — improving traffic flows and ensuring safety during peak hours — that much more important.”
Pre-construction work began earlier this month, before the start of school. The city said work will resume Sept. 3 with concrete demolition and electrical wire installation, which will cause a southbound lane closure and impacts to the southbound bike lane and parts of the sidewalk for the next few weeks.
Crews will shift to work on northbound Rancho Santa Fe Road once southbound work is finished. However, two-way traffic is expected to be maintained throughout the project.
“During the duration of construction, residents and commuters can expect traffic delays in the working area and are encouraged to take alternate routes. Residents and commuters can also expect large construction equipment, noise, odors, and occasional lane closures and night work during construction,” the city said.
The project will also utilize a paving technique known as cold-in-place recycling, which removes and reuses existing asphalt during new paving to save money and materials.
“This process uses fewer materials, is more cost efficient, and reduces the amount of heavy equipment and delays on the roadway,” the city said.
Other work over the course of the project will include grading and pouring concrete, roadway utility installation, asphalt paving, traffic signal activities, roadway striping, and traffic loop installation, according to Senior Civil Engineer Emad Elias.
San Marcos officials said the city is committed to communicating about road closures and will inform residents, businesses and schools that will be directly affected by activities ahead of time.
The project is expected to be completed in January, pending weather, according to the city.
