Work will continue daily, including on Memorial Day, to complete the work by early June and reopen the rail line to passenger service; beachgoers are asked to use extra caution around work zones
ORANGE – Work will continue daily through the Memorial Day weekend, including Monday, on emergency efforts to reinforce the most vulnerable areas along the rail line in San Clemente. Passenger rail service continues to be temporarily halted through the area.
Recognizing that Memorial Day weekend typically draws large crowds, all beaches are scheduled to remain open and if any work is necessary on the coastal side, beachgoers will be safely directed around work areas. Those accessing the beach near the work areas are asked to use extra caution.
Work is continuing so that it can be completed and the rail line reopened to passenger service as soon as possible.
This week, crews continued to strategically place large boulders, also known as riprap, in Project Areas 1 and 2. Work has finished in Area 2 and is nearing completion in Area 1. Work is also nearing completion in the stretch between Areas 1 and 2, which was a minor modification recently approved by the California Coastal Commission. Since the work began in late April, approximately 5,400 tons of riprap has been placed next to the track.
The rock is being strategically sorted and placed primarily within the area where riprap previously existed to protect against coastal erosion. Approximately 240,000 cubic yards of sand will also be placed on the beach in Areas 1 and 2 between Mariposa Point and North Beach.
The ongoing work, which will continue daily between 5 a.m. and 8 p.m., also will include temporarily placing large concrete barriers between the track and the inland bluff in Area 3 to create a safe workspace for crews. The Coastal Commission earlier this month granted the Orange County Transportation Authority, which owns the rail line and is leading the project, a permit to build an approximately 1,400-foot-long catchment wall in Area 3. The schedule to construct that wall is still being determined.
Amtrak Pacific Surfliner and Metrolink passenger rail service will remain temporarily halted until the current work is finished in early June. For the latest updates on rail service, passengers are asked to check www.pacificsurfliner.com/alerts and metrolinktrains.com/service-updates.
Background:Passenger rail service through San Clemente was suspended beginning April 28 to allow crews to safely conduct emergency work to reinforce sections of track at immediate risk from landslides and coastal erosion.
The rail line is expected to be shut down for passenger service for a total of approximately six weeks, through early June. OCTA, in coordination with Metrolink and Amtrak Pacific Surfliner, is taking action to protect the only coastal rail link between San Diego and Orange counties, following continued threats from the privately owned bluffs and from coastal erosion and storm surges.
Over the past four years, San Clemente’s eroding bluffs – on both city and private property – have repeatedly forced the closure of the rail line that has operated largely uninterrupted for more than 125 years.
For the latest on the project, visit www.octa.net/railemergency.
OCTA submitted an emergency Coastal Development Permit application to the Coastal Commission that was partially approved in early April. Additional work was approved on May 7.
The California Transportation Commission approved approximately $92 million in funding for a catchment wall in Area 3 on May 16. The total package of projects is estimated to cost approximately $300 million. The project components consist of 95% sand and 5% armoring.
The current work in Areas 1 and 2, and site preparation work in Area 3, estimated to cost approximately $10 million, is underway, utilizing an emergency authorization from the California Coastal Commission.
