Streetscape work continues with installation of drainage pipe

ENCINITAS — Progress continues on the Leucadia Streetscape project, an extensive infrastructure overhaul along North Coast Highway 101 that aims to improve safety, mobility and stormwater management.

Segment C and the North 101 Drainage Improvements project, which started in March and spans Jupiter Street to La Costa Avenue, are the focal points of construction.

Construction crews have begun excavating and installing a new 60-inch storm drain pipe starting at Jupiter Street and extending to Moorgate Road. The project will then shift to replacing the water line on the west side of North Coast Highway 101, with surface storm drain installations taking place along the entire stretch.

Currently, work is centered on installing a reinforced storm drain on the east side of the highway.

Lisa Adams, the city’s project manager, said the ongoing work involves significant traffic detours and lane shifts, which will impact the stretch from Avocado Street to La Costa Avenue.

“We’re putting in the 60-inch pipe on the east side of the road … and that’s going to be going on until about January or February (2025),” Adams said.

Once this segment is completed, the work will shift north, continuing storm drain installation between Avocado Street and Jupiter Street. Traffic along the west side of the highway will remain in two-way lanes throughout the construction, with northbound vehicles being detoured at Avocado Street.

The lane configuration will stay in place until February 2025, allowing for uninterrupted work on the drainage system.

Adams also highlighted the challenges faced by the construction teams, including coordination with Southern California Gas, which manages a gas line on the east side of the 101. For safety reasons, SoCal Gas requires a representative to be on-site during the work.

However, they can only provide one person per day, which limits the pace of construction. This has caused some delays as crews wanted to work at two locations simultaneously but could only proceed at one spot at a time due to staffing limitations.

“And if any contractors are working around their gas lines or their electric lines, they want a stand-by person there watching to make sure everything goes smoothly,” Adams said. “It’s a common practice for utilities.”

The streetscape project has been in the works since 2008 and, once completed, will include improved bike lanes, sidewalks, roundabouts, and flood prevention systems.

Mayor Tony Kranz underscored the project’s importance as a way to address Leucadia’s historical flooding problems.

“There’s been historic flooding in Leucadia that has been exacerbated by growth,” Kranz said. “Where there once were more permeable surfaces, as you know, homes get added, there is more impervious surface … and that means the fact that there was an inadequate stormwater system was highlighted.”

While the current Streetscape project includes a $17 million stormwater pipe installation, Kranz said much more funding and work are needed to fully address the area’s flood risks, particularly against 100-year storms and others similar to the rains that inundated large swathes of the neighborhood last winter.

The Leucadia Streetscape’s future segments, such as Segment A1 from A Street to Marcheta Street and Segment B: Ultimate Improvements from Basil Street to Jupiter Street, remain in the design phase, awaiting additional funding to proceed.

Kranz said the city would require approximately $50 million to complete the necessary drainage improvements and finish the Streetscape project.

“There’s another segment of pipe that is part of the consultant-identified report, and that would be from essentially Leucadia Boulevard north to La Costa Avenue,” he said. “It’s roughly $50 million of work, and it is going to be tough to fund that given current revenue.”

Leucadia resident Gary Murphy expressed cautious optimism about the Leucadia Streetscape project, acknowledging it as a good start but emphasizing that it won’t be fully effective until the remaining sections, particularly from Jupiter Street to Basil Street, are completed.

“It’s a start,” Murphy said. “It won’t be a solid conclusion until we get the other two sections, which is in the middle, from Jupiter to Leucadia Boulevard, done.”

Murphy, who has made various efforts through the years to assist the city in developing designs for storm drainage projects in Leucadia, also raised concerns about how stormwater outflow will be managed, especially during 100-year storms, questioning whether the existing infrastructure — including the parking lot area at South Ponto Beach — can handle the increased water flow without causing hydrology issues.

In addition to drainage, the project focuses on creating a safer environment for pedestrians and cyclists, with plans to install roundabouts, improved crosswalks, and widened sidewalks. The project is scheduled for completion in 2026, though each phase depends on the availability of funding and favorable construction conditions.

Adams expressed gratitude for the community’s patience, noting that businesses along the highway have remained open and accessible throughout the disruptions.

“The community has been very understanding and patient, which is very much appreciated,” Adams said.

The City of Encinitas encourages residents to stay updated through the official project website or by contacting the Streetscape hotline.

“It’s a significant project that’s, you know, inconvenient as heck, and I get it,” Kranz said. “It’s pretty frustrating to deal with the impacts of a project of this magnitude, but ultimately, the finished product is going to be, I think, well worth the inconvenience.”