The Coast News Group
Mr. K-Rail is here to remind you to “BE WORK ZONE ALERT DURING I-5 WORK”
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I-5 Carpool Lane Construction in Encinitas and Carlsbad

Starting in early December, Build NCC construction teams will begin to extend HOV/Carpool Lanes on Interstate 5 (I-5) – one in each direction – between Manchester Avenue in the City of Encinitas and Palomar Airport Road in the City of Carlsbad. The eight-mile carpool lane extension is anticipated to be complete by late 2021 and coincides with rail, environmental, and other community enhancements currently being constructed along the 27-mile North County coastal transportation corridor, also known as the North Coast Corridor.

Local community members and the traveling public will soon see the placement of concrete barriers (k-rail) along the inner shoulder of both northbound and southbound I-5 to protect motorists and construction crews while work is conducted in the median of the highway. During the three-year project, the number of lanes will remain the same and the outside shoulder will always remain open for motorists to pull over should they need assistance. However, motorists should expect reduced lane widths throughout construction.

Safety is a top priority for the Build NCC team. Caltrans and SANDAG recently introduced Mr. and Ms. K-Rail, new safety ambassadors for the Build NCC program, reminding motorists to “Stay Safe!” and drive cautiously and slowly through construction zones. To further assist motorists during construction, Caltrans and SANDAG fund Motorist Aid, which provides motorist assistance during daytime weekday and weekend hours to help stranded vehicles get safely back on the highway. Simply call 511 in San Diego County and say: “Roadside Assistance.”

Community members who are looking for alternative commuting solutions during this period of construction are encouraged to visit iCommuteSD.com to learn about the alternative transportation resources available for commuters and businesses, as well as consider traveling via the North County Transit District COASTER or Amtrak Pacific Surfliner trains, which connect San Diego County’s coastal corridor between Oceanside and downtown San Diego.

These needed transportation and quality of life improvements are made possible through a combination of state and federal funds, local TransNet dollars – a voter-approved, half cent sales tax for regional transportation projects administered by SANDAG – and funding from Senate Bill 1, the Road Repair Accountability Act of 2017 (SB 1). SB 1 is estimated to provide more than $1 billion over the next 10 years to fix roads, freeways, bridges, and expand transit across San Diego.

For more information on Build NCC and regular updates on construction activities, please sign up for email notifications at KeepSanDiegoMoving.com/BuildNCC, follow the project on Twitter @BuildNCC, and enroll for text alerts by texting “BuildNCC” to 313131. Additional information can be obtained by calling the construction hotline at (844) NCC-0050 or by emailing [email protected].

About Build NCC

Build NCC is a collaborative effort between SANDAG, Caltrans, and United States Department of Transportation. Build NCC is the first phase of construction in the cities of Solana Beach, Encinitas, and Carlsbad as part of the North Coast Corridor Program. Build NCC includes extending the existing HOV/carpool lane on I-5 in each direction from Lomas Santa Fe Drive to State Route 78, double tracking the rail line and replacing the highway bridge at the San Elijo Lagoon, replacing the rail bridges at the San Elijo Lagoon, restoring the San Elijo Lagoon, and constructing nearly 7 miles of new bike and pedestrian trails. Construction on Build NCC began in early 2017 and will be complete by 2022.