SAN DIEGO — For decades, Bachman Place was a popular shortcut between Mission Valley and Hillcrest. But two years ago, the road closed for a major construction project. It was supposed to reopen this past summer, but that didn't happen.
The closure was necessary for construction crews to start on a $3 billion upgrade to UC San Diego Medical Center Hillcrest.
The new project includes more parking and a massive new outpatient center. Construction crews are constantly using the road and they’ve torn it up, making the area too dangerous for pedestrians and cyclists.
“It's pretty annoying because you can't walk or bike down the hill to Mission Valley,” said Hillcrest resident Teo Wickland. “If you were trying to go another route, it's really far away.” Teo doesn't have a car and for walkers and cyclists like him, Bachman was a critical north-south route.
Cars can go around on State Route 163, but during shift changes at UCSD, people who live in the area say traffic backs up, clogging their streets.
“Oh, it's terrible. It's terrible,” said Charles Lemmones while walking in his neighborhood. “And it's not just 5 or 10 minutes. It takes a while. It's all backed up.”
Around 6,000 cars a day used Bachman. Now they're blocking side streets. Neighbors say it leads to road rage and dangerous conditions.
“We got a lot of people going the wrong way (on one-way streets). It gets nuts," he said.
Construction crews say Bachman could remain closed until next summer, so why the long delay? Working for You, CBS 8 reached out to multiple agencies and learned the problem centers around a variety of issues, ranging from environmental reviews that took longer than expected, to the relocation of a major gas line and weather delays.
“I saw a sign that it was supposed to open next summer, so hopefully that's going to happen,” Teo said. “Hopefully it won't be pushed back again.”
But there is some good news. The new Bachman Place, when it finally does open, will be wider and safer and will have protected bike lanes.