Via De La Valle to be resurfaced after utilities undergrounding project

For about a year, Rancho Santa Fe resident Mel Satterburg has been trying to find a smooth solution for a bumpy section of Via De La Valle, a major east-west thoroughfare for Del Mar, Solana Beach and Rancho Santa Fe residents.

“The section of Via De La Valle between I-5 and San Andres is in terrible condition and is very dangerous to cars and pedestrians,” Satterburg said. “It has been this way for a long time,”

Satterburg said the road is riddled with pot holes and deep ruts in the pavement. Additionally the white lines at the traffic light into Flower Hill Promenade and the Gelson’s shopping centers have faded and need to be repainted. “Compete resurfacing is the only solution,” Satterburg said.

For some time, he thought the city of Del Mar might be to blame for the street’s condition, however, according to Del Mar, everything east of the freeway is in San Diego’s jurisdiction. Satterburg said he has put in numerous requests to the city of San Diego’s Get It Done app and has sent a number of letters directly to Mayor Kevin Faulconer but he has never responded.

According to Anthony Santacroce, senior public information officer for the city of San Diego, the segment has not been resurfaced due to upcoming utilities undergrounding work as well as the road widening effort.

“Streets to be considered for resurfacing are based on a variety of factors including street maintenance records, field verification of pavement condition, project coordination, community input and council/mayor input,” Santacroce said. “In this instance, road resurfacing on Via De La Valle must be coordinated with the present work being performed and will be repaved after work is completed.”

Per the city’s transportation and storm water division’s project lists and timelines, SDG&E is expected to begin phase one of the overhead utilities undergrounding project on Via De La Valle in April, start phase two in June and wrap up by October. Asphalt resurfacing is scheduled to be completed by December.

The Via De La Valle widening project (widening the road from two to four lanes from San Andres to El Camino Real) is a permitted, private construction project by Black Mountain Ranch LLC and currently does not have a project timeline.

The project nearly 17 years in the making received its site development permit in 2015 and was reviewed and approved by the Carmel Valley Community Planning board again in 2017. The board had voted against the widening in 2013 due to concerns about the impact on Del Mar Horsepark users and businesses adjacent to the road.

The widening would also include re-striping Via De La Valle between San Andres and I-5 to six lanes. It was last projected to start construction in 2018 and be completed this year.