Nine days ago, Caltrans reopened the westbound lanes of state Route 78, which had been closed for about three weeks after winter storms flooded the freeway and created a massive sinkhole.
That same day, construction workers shut down the eastbound lanes in order to replace culverts below the roadway used to carry rain runoff to the nearby Buena Vista Lagoon.
At the time, Caltrans expected the work to take three weeks.
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Unfortunately for commuters and other travelers on the North County state route, Caltrans said on Friday that the "work on the eastbound lanes is expected to continue for approximately three more weeks," despite the around-the-clock efforts of the road crews.
The westbound lanes took about three weeks to repair, including the original weather-related closure, in no small part due to the fact the rain continued falling intermittently as they labored.
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The workers are replacing nine 70-year-old corrugated steel pipe with high-density plastic and concrete pipes, at a cost estimated to be around $20 million. To replace them, they need to excavate as deep as 60 feet. The had to go to 40 feet on the other side of the road
Rizzutto said a project similar to what took place on the westbound lanes would normally take six to nine months
"We were delayed because of several rain events," Caltrans District 11 maintenance chief Shawn Rizzuto said. "That was challenging for us to work in the rain. There was significant rainfall through the area, which caused us quite a bit of delay to be honest with you. We were concerned about some of our slopes and the stability of our slopes, so we had to add additional shoring to accomplish the feat that you see before us."
Drivers are being rerouted between El Camino Real and College Boulevard while the repairs are taking place.
