On a sunny spring day at the beach, the city of San Diego celebrated the completion of an infrastructure project that will keep people better connected to a most “magnificent” stretch of coastline.
The seven feet of new smooth and level walkway es from the Torrey Pines State Beach parking lot under North Torrey Pines Road and out onto the sand. Ahead of a ribbon-cutting ceremony on April 29, San Diego City Council President Joe LaCava said the project was done in response to community raising awareness about accessibility and safety issues on the path they take to the beach almost every day.
“It is really those community voices that inspire us and remind us what the priorities are and make sure we get the work done,” LaCava said.
There had previously been a ramp in that location but over the years, it had been damaged by the increasing frequency of high tides and bigger and more impactful storm surges, LaCava said. On the ocean side, the ramp was three feet above the sand.
“That was a problem,” LaCava said. “We want to make sure that our state beaches and our city beaches are accessible to everyone, no matter how you move around.”
The city made a $1.8 million investment to make sure everyone had a safe way to easily get down to the beach. The city worked in collaboration with California State Parks and the Coastal Commission, and the engineering and construction team overcame challenges like working close to the ocean and around high tides. The old ramp was ripped out and rebuilt, ramps and walkways on both sides were smoothed and new handrails were installed.
“This is a significant milestone in our ongoing efforts to enhance safety, accessibility and environmental stewardship,” said Bethany Bezak, director of transportation.
It was an exciting day for District 1 overall, as just an hour earlier, the council president and city staff were commemorating the energization of the new traffic signal at Del Mar Heights Road and Mercado Drive.
