Ardath Road Project Update

by Councilman Scott Peters
for the La Jolla Village News
February 2003

Work continues on schedule at the Ardath/Torrey Pines intersection; I think it's time for an update. Many of you have called and written to ask about various aspects of this important project and I wanted to give you an update. The reconfiguration of this intersection will vastly improve the quality of life for all those who live in La Jolla and all who pass through this infamously crowded intersection but I am well aware of how taxing the night work has been on residents and commuters recently. The projections show that the improvements to the intersection will reduce congestion by 60% over the preexisting conditions. I thank you and again ask you for your patience for a few more months when we can realize the benefits of this project. Below I have tried to answer the questions that many of you have written and called about.

When will the night work end?
Thankfully, we are near the end of night work! Water pipe replacement work at night is scheduled to be complete near the beginning of March. Isolated activities such as pipeline testing, resurfacing, and traffic signal activations may require some night work in months afterwards, but the bulk of the night work will be over soon. To mark the end of this work, we are planning a celebration for all affected residents. Stay tuned for more information.

When will the work be completed? Are we still on schedule to complete the work in September?
We are still on schedule to complete all of the major roadway work by September 2003. Major road work that still remains include: the creation of the new signalized intersection at Hidden Valley Road, Torrey Pines Road, and Ardath Road; the creation of the cul-de-sac at the Children's School, the installation of traffic lights, paving and striping, and landscaping. It may take a few weeks more to landscape the new intersection, but we are still on track to have it open to traffic in September.

What is the status of the Torrey Pine Trees?
It will come as no surprise that it looks as though we've lost 8 of the 17 Torrey Pines trees that needed to be removed to accommodate the reconfiguration. The city has been working with the contracted arborists to confirm that the trees are indeed dead and have tried to save as many trees as possible. We will be working with the project team to replace these trees with new ones.

What is the status of the signs changing from Ardath Road to La Jolla Parkway?
Changes to the signs on the freeway are being coordinated through Caltrans. We have been told that the signs are on order and may be ready this summer. New signs within the bounds of the intersection project will be installed with the new signals, which will come near the completion of the project in September. I look forward to clearing up the confusion caused by having two Ardath Roads, and to getting better identification for La Jolla from visitors coming to the area.

What is being done to help the neighbors on old Ardath Road where the Oleanders were removed?
We have been working with the project team to find creative strategies to help mitigate the removal of the oleanders. The project team will be redesigning the footings of the retaining wall so that it may accommodate a taller wall in the future. We are planning ahead to make sure that we have the infrastructure to accommodate a larger wall, when we find the resources to construct one.

What happened to the traffic signals? Traffic was horrible a few weeks ago.
I apologize for the traffic problems caused by the dysfunctional signals. My wife and many of my friends were caught in the traffic too and believe me I heard about it from everyone! When I was alerted to the problem we had crews out on site to fix the signals immediately. The nature of this type of construction means that they need to adjust the signals regularly to keep the timing straight. The City's streets division is monitoring this carefully and I hope that we will not have another incident.

If you have additional questions or need more information about the project please call the project hotline at 619-533-7539 or go to my web site at www.sandiego.gov/cd1. I appreciate the patience with which La Jollans are enduring this project. I look forward to celebrating the completion of the night work with you soon, and celebrating the completion of the project in the fall.