SUBJECT:

CONSTRUCTION ALERT – Potholing and Geotechnical Investigation, Caltrans Voigt Bridge Replacement/Voigt Drive Widening/Campus Point Drive Realignment

Overall Project Description/Location:

The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) has developed the North Coast Corridor (NCC) Program as a comprehensive set of transportation, environment, and coastal access projects designed to improve the quality of life for residents, create a stronger local and regional economy for the future, and enhance the coastal environment. As part of the project, Caltrans and SANDAG have proposed several improvements near UC San Diego. These improvements include the construction of two High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV)/ Express Lanes, one in each direction between Genesee Avenue and La Jolla Village Drive, a Direct Access Ramp (DAR) at Voigt Drive to facilitate access to HOV/ Express Lanes from the reconfigured Voigt Drive Bridge, and the realignment of Campus Point Drive.

Voigt Drive and Campus Point Drive will be modified to accommodate the increased traffic that will result from the implementation of the future DAR to the I-5 freeway. Voigt Drive will be widened from two to four lanes, starting at the newly constructed Voigt Drive Bridge and going east towards Genesee Avenue. This widening will include enhanced sidewalks and bike lanes. Additionally, this will require relocation of the Campus Point Drive and Voigt Drive intersection to improve traffic circulation and accommodate increased queuing of vehicles.

When drivers of carpools, vanpools, and buses can connect directly with HOV lanes, they avoid the need to cut across other lanes. DARs improve safety, reduce congestion, save time, and increase reliability for both HOVs and other vehicles. Roadway improvements will also include new traffic signals, sidewalks and bike lanes.

Lead Partners: Caltrans, SANDAG

Short Term Project Construction Activities

As part of the NCC planning and project development, Caltrans will have consultants/contractors performing field investigative work in certain areas of the campus. The work will entail crews conducting a process called potholing and geotechnical borings. These activities occur early in project development to verify locations of existing underground utilities and physical properties of the soils which could affect elements of the engineering. Any holes created as part of this process will be refilled with the surface areas restored to prior condition following the process of gathering the data. Where work will be conducted in a street, approved traffic control will be utilized. Where work will occur behind a curb, or within a sidewalk area, pedestrian access may be affected temporarily and measures will be taken to provide advance warning. In addition to the utility potholing and geotechnical borings work, survey crews will be on site to document existing conditions.

Utility potholing work and geotechnical boreholes will begin March 20, 2016 and should be finished by May 30, 2016.

The primary hours of work would be between 7 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.; however, earlier start times or later ending times may occur. Some weekend work may occur.

Traffic, Bike Lane and Pedestrian Impacts:

Traffic control measures, including flaggers as needed, will be in place for locations where the work will occur in a street, but no total closure of any street will occur, and at least one lane will remain open in each direction at all times. Bike lanes could be temporarily impacted by traffic control for the work within a street. The duration for such an impact will be brief – typically one to two days. Pedestrians may be directed to adjacent walkways if work requires such a routing change. Areas impacted by the work will not be simultaneous and each location will be interrupted for a short duration of one to two days.

Please view the area map
at: http://rmp-public.ucsd.edu/fdc/Alerts/VoigtDrivePotholingMap3_14_16.pdf

If you have any questions, please contact FD&C Civil Engineer Laura Moore (lamoore@ucsd.edu) at (858) 822-2453 or Project Specialist Mary Alice Lorio (mlorio@ucsd.edu) at (858) 534-2981. We greatly appreciate your patience during these construction activities.

Wm. Joel King, AIA Assistant Vice Chancellor Campus Architect