For years, there have been questions about what to do about the rail line running along the crumbling bluffs in Del Mar. Now, it appears SANDAG has narrowed it down to five options.
Four are what they call “realignment options” and another is called "no build."
“The first proposal would have not worked because I would have lost my home,” William Agnew said.
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Agnew lives about 30 feet from the existing LOSSAN Rail Corridor that runs through Solana Beach. He is one of many people closely following the alignment proposals for the tracks.
“The new proposal that I was just informed about said that it would not impact my housing, which is a good thing, but I’m still concerned with the rest of the area,” he said.
SANDAG released a study last week with 16 possible alignment options. It’s since been narrowed to four, and three involve building tunnels.
The yellow route goes from San Dieguito River Bridge to Interstate 5. Its estimated cost ranges from $3.8 to $5.1 billion.
The blue option goes under Crest Canyon. Its estimated cost ranges from $3.7 to $5 billion.
The pink route goes under Camino Del Mar. Its estimated cost ranges from $3.3 to $4.4 billion.
The fourth option is the green line, which would double-track the route along the bluffs without using a tunnel. Its estimated cost ranges from $1.8 to $2.5 billion.
A "no build" option is also being considered, which would keep the tracks where they are, and instead, do more to reinforce the eroding bluffs.
“They all seem much more reasonable in terms of meeting some of the key requirements of minimizing impact, private property, including subsurface, minimizing impact to economic generators, such as the fairgrounds, which we know is a huge economic generator,” said Sandra Hutton, a Solana Beach resident.
Construction is not expected to begin for another three years.
"Until they really decide what course of action they're going to take, I'm just going to sit and watch it," Del Mar resident Ray Paulick said.
SANDAG will be proposing the alternative options to the board of directors on Feb. 28. The public will also have a chance to share their feedback.
Correction: This story has been updated to correctly identify Solana Beach resident Sandra Hutton, not Sandra Harrison.
