DEL MAR — The city of Del Mar has granted SANDAG encroachment permits to build a pedestrian undercrossing at the new San Dieguito rail bridge, which will connect to the Coast to Crest Trail.
SANDAG plans to begin work in early 2026 on replacing the 108-year-old San Dieguito Railway River Bridge, which carries trains over the San Dieguito Lagoon. The wooden trestle bridge will be replaced with a concrete bridge elevated above the floodplain.
The new bridge is one element of the $347 million San Dieguito Double Track and Special Events Platform Project, which will add 2.1 miles of double tracking between Solana Beach and Del Mar, and a special events platform at the Del Mar Fairgrounds.
The planned undercrossing at the south end of the bridge will connect the Coast to Crest Trail with a walkway beneath the new bridge. Currently, pedestrians must walk across the rail tracks to continue on the trail.
“The pedestrian undercrossing on the south side of the river would provide a legal, grade-separated pedestrian crossing that currently does not exist at this location to connect the Coast to Crest Trail,” a city staff report states.
The City Council was unable to vote on the permits at its Tuesday meeting because it lacked a quorum of non-conflicted members.
Only three council members were present, with Dan Quirk absent. Tracy Martinez and John Spelich had to recuse themselves due to the proximity of their homes to the project site.
Instead, the council delegated authority to City Manager Ashley Jones to approve permits for the project.
“This was an exceptional action that was primarily done to ensure that the City was able to consider and process SANDAG’s encroachment permit timely since this item has been pending Council consideration for the last two Council meetings,” Jones said.
The Coast to Crest Trail is a planned 71-mile trail extending from Volcan Mountain in Julian to Del Mar. Approximately 20 miles of gaps remain before the trail is complete.
The new trail and undercrossing at the bridge will be graded and range in width from 8 feet to 12 feet, according to the city.
SANDAG’s permits will also allow them to relocate utility lines, install a new firewater main near the fairgrounds, build a slope embankment, and construct a temporary platform to support the double track construction.
They will also construct a new driveway along Jimmy Durante Boulevard at 21st Street for North County Transit District to conduct rail maintenance and access its utility shed.
SANDAG expects the bridge replacement, double tracking and special events platform project to take around four and a half years and finish in 2030.
The Del Mar City Council has previously opposed the timing of the bridge replacement and double-tracking project. In January, the council asked SANDAG to delay the project until after a route had been chosen for the Del Mar rail realignment project.
This angered other jurisdictions and agencies, including the Del Mar Fairgrounds, who noted that the project is fully funded and ready to start.
Some residents urged the city to use the encroachment permits as leverage to demand better communication from SANDAG about other local projects, including the rail realignment and coastal access improvements required as part of the Del Mar Bluffs Phase 5 Stabilization.
“We urge Del Mar City Council to be more vocal in asking for more transparency from SANDAG, and request quarterly meetings with information provided in a proactive manner instead of reactive,” resident Angelina Neglia wrote in an email.
However, Jones said SANDAG has been regularly communicating with staff about the coastal access improvements and mitigation projects. Under deadlines imposed by the California Coastal Commission, SANDAG must begin construction on access improvements at the bluffs within three years of starting the Phase 5 stabilization.
“This is something we are actively engaging SANDAG on. It appears they are going to be on track to meet the Coastal Commission deadlines for starting construction,” Jones said.
The city will also receive a presentation about SANDAG’s progress on these projects later in the summer, Jones said.
