SAN DIEGO — CBS 8 viewers want to know what the purpose behind all the construction on Friars Road and they're asking how long certain lanes will remain closed. CBS 8 is Working for You to get those answers.
“What are they doing? Why are they doing it? And what do they estimate to be a closing date? That’s what we need," said Point Loma resident Bob Hamm, who has noticed the westbound lanes closed for several years now. “I wondered what was going on."
Many cyclists use this stretch of Friars Road from Sea World Drive to Napa Street, though some parts of the bike path are closed and have detours.
“At least they should put up signs telling us why they’re doing this, but meanwhile literally we have no answers," said cyclist Nadine Spertus, who uses this route several times a week.
CBS 8 reached out to the City of San Diego about the lane closures.
“We know it’s been a big impact to the community. We know they’ve been living with it for quite some time," said Amy Dorman, Assistant Director in the Public Utilities Department.
Dorman told CBS 8 the construction on Friars is tied into the new Morena Pump Station they're building for the City's Pure Water Program
“We’re building a new, five-step purification process with advanced treatment technology that’ll render the water really close to distilled water quality," said Dorman.
Construction crews are laying pipe along Friars that will connect to the new pump station, and to do so requires very large structures to hold them in place.
“Since these are such large pipes we’re connecting to, we also have to build structures where we’re connecting to them, so we call those diversion structures," said Dorman. "Some of the excavation on Friars is over 40 feet deep.”
In 2026, they expect to provide 30 million gallons a day of drinking water this way, and by 2035 after the second phase is completed, the system should supply half of San Diego's drinking water.
“Historically we have depended on imported water for 80-90% of what we need," Dorman explained. "We had a really good rainy season last winter, but we go through drought cycles. They come and they go and last for a couple years at a time, so Pure Water will be a great boost to our water supply portfolio.”
Hamm told CBS 8 he realizes the benefits of all the construction, but admitted he remains anxious to see it finished.
“I think definitely it’s going to be a good thing once they get it complete, hopefully soon,” said Hamm.
The construction team expects to fully reopen Friars Road within two years, but they told CBS 8 they’re looking at ways to shorten the timeline if possible.
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