The $700 million initial phase of construction began in 2016 with a groundbreaking on November 29 at
San Elijo Lagoon.
Highway Two new bridges are to be built on
Interstate 5: one across the San Elijo Lagoon in
Solana Beach and
Encinitas, and one across
Batiquitos Lagoon in
Carlsbad. The highway expansion faces opposition from environmentalists, who argue that "expanding the amount of space we dedicate to cars not only fails to speed up traffic but also accelerates the breakdown of ecosystems that support life on earth." Work is ongoing on a similar project at
Batiquitos Lagoon, including a bridge replacement and of new double track. These projects, as well as
grade crossing work, are budgeted for $102 million.
Other transportation $40 million is to be spent on bicycle path and pedestrian improvements, along with local community enhancements.
Environment San Elijo Lagoon will receive $80 million for restoration efforts, such as dredging and filling to bring sediment to natural levels, as well as additional conserved area to mitigate the impact of the new road and rail bridges. This work is scheduled to begin in 2017. ==References==