Solana Beach City Council members received an update on the double tracking project by the San Diego Association of Governments, which is scheduled to begin construction in early 2026 and last five years.

“The big picture is we need to double track the LOSSAN corridor and make sure that it’s safe and reliable,” Solana Beach Mayor Lesa Heebner said. “It’s just going to take a little bit of pain for us all because it’s things that have had to be done for many, many years.”

The project will create a 2-mile stretch of double tracking from the Solana Beach trench, from just north of Dahlia Street, to the north end of the Camino del Mar and Jimmy Durante overpass. It will also have a special events platform at the Del Mar Fairgrounds.

The estimated cost for the project is $347 million, according to SANDAG, which will be covered by local, state and federal funding.

SANDAG engineer Angela Anderson discussed some of the logistics of the project and the construction impacts the city might experience, including some of the measures that would be taken to manage traffic and efforts to maintain communication with the city.

Solana Beach City Manager Alyssa Muto talked about other factors, such as limiting truck trips during school hours, limiting access on Cedros unless it’s necessary, no obstructions or signage within bicycle lanes, and other mitigation.

Deputy Mayor Jewel Edson also mentioned the city’s quiet zone and whether safety air horns that are blown when the train comes will infringe upon it.

Scott Shroyer, director of engineering with North County Transit District, said the horns are a required safety precaution.

“There is federal regulation that requires that when there are construction crews within the rail right of way, when the train passes by they do have to sound their horn just as a safety precaution to make sure that the workers know that the train is coming,” he said.