SAN DIEGO COUNTY, Calif. — A plan to reroute the train tracks from the crumbling Del Mar Bluffs is one step closer to reality. Last month, San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) accepted a $300 million state grant to put toward a tunnel project.
SANDAG leaders along with state, federal, and local officials in Del Mar came together Wednesday to discuss the state investment for the realignment of the LOSSAN Rail Corridor.
CBS 8 spoke with Sharon Humphreys, who is the Senior Transportation Engineer at SANDAG, about what the tunnel will look like and where it will be located.
"So this project actually begins at Sorrento Valley station and then we're going to be double tracking the corridor across the Los Peñasquitos Lagoon -- we're looking at a couple alternatives for the portal on the south end of the project, closer to I-5, closer to the ocean. And then it will be underground until it comes out just south of the fairgrounds at the north end," Humpreys said.
The three miles of tunnel will be 50 to 90 feet underneath Del Mar as part of the LOSSAN Rail Corridor, which goes from San Diego to San Luis Obispo. It's not only a commuter train but a critical freight and strategic defense corridor.
For nearly two decades, SANDAG has worked to stabilize the Del Mar bluffs as a temporary solution. The state's $300 million investment will allow SANDAG to complete the environmental review process and advance engineering work for a long-term solution.
The agency said they will also continue to seek funding for construction of the realignment and other critical improvement projects along the entire corridor.
The current track on the bluff will remain working until the completion of the new tunnel, which is expected to take about three to five years.
WATCH RELATED: Train tracks near ocean on Del Mar bluffs set to be moved as erosion worsens (September 2022)