OCEANSIDE — The city of Oceanside has received nearly $1.56 million in federal relief funds to help repair damages incurred on Vista Way last year.
The City Council unanimously accepted the funds from the Federal Highway Administration Emergency Relief Program on March 27, almost one year after state Route 78 was closed due to a giant sinkhole. Last March, the road served as a detour during two months of emergency repairs along the state highway.
FHWA provides grants to state and local governments needing repairs or reconstruction of federal aid highways that suffer severe damage from natural disasters or catastrophic failures.
In March 2023, the California Department of Transportation, or Caltrans, closed all westbound SR-78 lanes for approximately one month as maintenance workers repaired a collapsed metal culvert that resulted in a sinkhole. State transportation workers subsequently shut down all SR-78 eastbound lanes between College Boulevard and El Camino Real in Oceanside to repair nine storm-damaged culverts.
During these two months, motorists were redirected around the work sites via alternative routes, such as El Camino Real, College Boulevard, Plaza Drive and Vista Way, parts of which run adjacent to SR-78.
Heavy daily traffic caused severe damage along Vista Way while the roadway accommodated the emergency repairs. In response, city staff submitted a damage assessment form requesting road repair funds for a two-inch asphalt overlay on the portion of Vista Way between El Camino Real and College Boulevard/Plaza Drive.
With the council’s approval, the next steps involve preparing construction documents and searching for a contractor to undertake the work. The city hopes to start work as soon as possible and anticipates finishing the repairs by the fall.
“As soon as we get the funds, we can move forward with it,” said City Engineer Brian Thomas.
In addition to the FHWA funds, the city will contribute more than $203,000 from Measure X funds to the road repair project.
