Grab your helmet or walking shoes: Starting next month, there will be new ways to roll + stroll in San Diego’s North County as the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) debuts fresh biking and walking paths.
It’s all part of the ongoing, $887 million Build NCC project to improve highway, rail, environmental + coastal access in Solana Beach, Encinitas, and Carlsbad. Let’s peek at the new routes.
The new San Elijo Lagoon pedestrian suspension bridge. | Photo via SANDAG
ARTISTICVISUALS
SANDAG says these connections will be available this summer:
🚲 A bike path along Manchester Avenue, west of the I-5 interchange
🚲 A bike path connecting Manchester Avenue to Birmingham Drive, along I-5
👟 The Solana Hills Trail extension — great for walking
👟 The San Elijo Lagoon bike + pedestrian suspension bridge (part of the North Coast Bike Trail)
These additions are part of $27 million worth of bicycling + pedestrian enhancements completed within the Build NCC master plan.
Also next month, crews will finish the I-5 Vista Point — an overlook that’s shaped like a jellyfish offering views of the San Elijo Lagoon. It’s located just south of Birmingham Drive on southbound I-5 and will be accessible to cyclists on the new bike path to Birmingham Drive. Motorists will be able to pull over and visit, too.
According to SANDAG, these new paths will increase connectivity and make it safer to walk + bike in the area.
Do you see the jellyfish? | Photo via SANDAG
🚧 What’s next?
Build NCC has been underway since 2017 and this phase of the plan is set to be wrapped up by 2023:
- Restoration of the San Elijo Lagoon — which includes the sand nourishment project at Cardiff State Beach we told you about earlier this year
- Double-tracking + replacing the San Elijo Lagoon Highway Bridge
- Construction of four additional miles of Carpool/HOV lanes in both directions from Palomar Airport Road in Carlsbad to State Route 78 in Oceanside
- Enhancement of the Chestnut Avenue intersection (crosswalk, bike lane + sidewalk)
Pro tip: Keep an eye on construction alerts to see how the Build NCC project is moving along.