On the Home Stretch

by Councilman Scott Peters
July 2005

Like all La Jollans, I have been experiencing the frustration of water, sewer and street remodeling in our town. For more than a year, we have patiently awaited the completion of several sewer jobs and the replacement of the La Jolla Boulevard/Torrey Pines Road water main. Fortunately for me as a council member, when I mutter under my breath, I get a response. I thought I would pass some scheduling information along to you.

Perhaps the most visible project has been the water pipeline replacement extending from Torrey Pines Road to La Jolla Boulevard and south into Pacific Beach. The City of San Diego Water Department is replacing nearly four miles of existing 16-inch cast iron water main with 16-inch Poly Vinyl Chloride ("PVC") water main. The new PVC water main is estimated to have a service life of 75 years.

Construction on this project began in the fall of 2004 and is expected to be finished by next summer. The total cost of the project is estimated at $6.3 million, where approximately 70 percent is funded by revenue bonds and 30 percent by water rates.

We are now at the halfway point of this project and can begin to recover from some of the impacts. This week, the Water Department is surfacing (slurry-sealing) La Jolla Boulevard from Mesa Way north to Westbourne Street, which should be completed by the first week of July. This means residents and visitors will soon be enjoying a smoother ride on a main La Jolla throughway.

On Torrey Pines Road, the new water main has been installed and has passed all of the appropriate water quality tests. In mid-July City forces will begin removing the "highlines" - the temporary water pipes that lie (and break!) on the street surface next to the curbs - and slurry seal the road. All signs of road construction will be removed from Torrey Pines Road by the end of July, and we've asked the workers to do as much as they can to avoid traffic disruptions on Fridays.

Once the highlines are removed and the slurry seal applied to Torrey Pines Road, the contractor will move south to resurface Girard Street, Pearl Street and Fay Avenue. On Fay Avenue the City has about 300 feet of work left to complete. This work was scheduled in two phases to accommodate La Jolla High School's schedule. The work on Fay Avenue will start just south of Genter Street to West Muirlands. The City is working diligently to complete all the work in La Jolla prior to Labor Day.

I am thankful that the Water Department has cooperated with the community to minimize disruption, although it can't be eliminated. Our community groups asked that construction continue past Memorial Day to finish the work rather than suspending work for the summer and resuming after Labor Day. Although this is especially disruptive in July, I agreed with the recommendation so we can get this over with as soon as possible.

After Labor Day the contractor will replace the water main in Mission Boulevard from Tourmaline Street south to Pacific Beach Blvd. In the meantime, if you have any questions about this project, please call the hotline at (619) 533-4679. This line is answered between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday - Friday, and checked every morning for messages. Calls are then forwarded to the appropriate project team member for follow up within a day.

I know these projects have been uncomfortable for residents, businesses and visitors, but I am also proud to be bringing long-delayed basic infrastructure to La Jolla despite our City's budget challenges. As your neighbor, I share your desire to finish the projects and improve the quality of life for all of us here in La Jolla.