"It's going to be a little bit of pain but a lot to gain." Douglas Alden, chair of BikeWalkSolana, said that to the San Diego Union-Tribune in September. He has been part of the Lomas Santa Fe Drive planning process since 2017.
Construction started Tuesday, Oct. 13. The City of Solana Beach expects to finish in fall 2027. That's roughly 14 months of work on the city's main interior road. Two details in the schedule limit how much of daily life it actually touches. Crews work weekday business hours, and the city wrote holiday pauses into the plan. Nearly every community event on the city calendar between now and mid-December happens on a weekend or after the crews leave.
Where the cones are, and where they aren't
The project covers Lomas Santa Fe Drive from Santa Helena Drive on the west to Highland Drive on the east. On the city's map, the area also includes Via Mil Cumbres, San Andres Drive and the I-5 corridor. When it's done, the stretch will have a 0.93-mile multi-use path on the north side, which the city engineer compared to the Coastal Rail Trail.
The road west of I-5, the section you take toward Highway 101, isn't being rebuilt yet. That segment, Lomas Santa Fe West, is the next phase. The Del Mar-Solana Beach Record reported in September that SANDAG awarded the western segment $3.5 million earlier in 2026, against an estimated $8 million total cost, and that the city is still looking for the rest of the funding. The Coast News reported in June that the West design was expected to be finalized the following year. Last winter the city put new smart signals at all five intersections west of I-5, and it said in August that it was still monitoring them and considering adjustments.
So for now, the construction stays east of the freeway. Trips between the coast and Cedros Avenue don't go through it.
What gets built first
City Engineer Austin Frisby told the Union-Tribune the crews will work from east to west, starting near Highland and moving toward Santa Helena. The work comes in this order:
- Raised medians with native, drought-tolerant plants
- A new sidewalk on the south side
- Roadway work on the north side, including the 0.93-mile path
The city's site doesn't give street limits or calendar dates for each phase. Updates go up at cityofsolanabeach.ca.gov/LSFE as traffic impacts are scheduled. In the first few weeks after the Oct. 13 start, the city said to expect cones and signs, survey markings, and small test holes dug to find underground utilities.
The main promise came from Greg Gomez, project manager at Kleinfelder, the firm handling engineering and construction management. He told the Union-Tribune: "We're not closing any roads, we'll always have a lane open in each direction at all times." Kleinfelder will also keep a full-time construction manager on site.
Two groups of residents will feel the work more than others:
- Via Mil Cumbres residents will be sent to one of two other exits during two short work phases.
- Sun Valley Road came up in September public comments to the council, which raised concerns that drivers would cut through parallel neighborhood streets like it to avoid delays on Lomas.
If construction blocks a driveway or storefront for a while, the city says it will give advance notice when it can. Any bike or pedestrian detours will be signed.
A work zone that keeps office hours
Crews are scheduled from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, except city holidays. The city also says there will be no construction during the Del Mar Fair or around Thanksgiving and Christmas, and any work outside those hours needs City approval. So the scheduled work zone runs on weekdays during the day, and nights, weekends and the holiday pauses are outside the regular schedule.
Set that schedule next to the city's own fall calendar and most of it doesn't overlap:
| Date | Day | Event | Location | During work hours? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct. 31 | Saturday | Fire Department Open House, 10 a.m.–2 p.m. | 500 Lomas Santa Fe Drive | No |
| Nov. 11 | Wednesday | Veterans Day ceremony, 11 a.m.–noon | La Colonia Park, 715 Valley Ave. | No, holiday |
| Nov. 14 | Saturday | World Kindness Day, Fixit Clinic, clothing swap, blood drive | Fletcher Cove | No |
| Dec. 6 | Sunday | Holiday Tree Lighting, from 4:30 p.m. | Fletcher Cove Park | No |
| Dec. 11 | Friday | Santa's Sleigh Ride, 2:30 p.m. | Starts and ends at 500 Lomas Santa Fe Drive | Weekday afternoon |
| Dec. 13 | Sunday | La Colonia Tree Lighting, 5–7 p.m. | La Colonia Park, 715 Valley Ave. | No |
Santa's Sleigh Ride is the only one that falls during scheduled work hours. The Veterans Day ceremony is on a Wednesday, but the construction schedule skips city holidays, and the city's own notices leave Veterans Day out of City Hall's working hours. Every other event lands on a Saturday or Sunday.
Fletcher Cove takes most of the season
Most of the season's events happen at Fletcher Cove, and the cove itself has changed since last year. In April the city finished beach-access improvements there: a stormwater dissipator grate, two shower stations, a repaved ramp and sidewalk, and new handrails.
Saturday, Nov. 14, puts four events at the cove on the same day. World Kindness Day runs 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Fletcher Cove Park, and a blood drive runs 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the park parking lot. Inside the Fletcher Cove Community Center at 133 Pacific Ave., the city's Fixit Clinic takes clothing, bikes, lighting, gadgets and small appliances from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. A clothing swap runs on the lawn outside during the same hours, and the general public can take items after 1 p.m. A broken lamp, a bag of clothes to swap and a blood donation can all happen in one visit.
The Holiday Tree Lighting on Sunday, Dec. 6, is the 21st, and this year it has something new. The city is adding a snow hill for sledding and a snow play area. Festivities start at 4:30 p.m. Mayor Lesa Heebner and the City Council flip the switch, and Santa arrives with a fire-truck escort at 5:20 p.m.
Encore Sushi, which opened in October at 112 S. Cedros Ave. in the former Kai Ola Sushi space, is open Sundays from noon to 9 p.m., so it works for dinner after the lighting. The Union-Tribune reported that chef James La and partner Chris West planned a grand opening for Oct. 23. The restaurant is closed Mondays.
A week later, the La Colonia Park tree lighting on Sunday, Dec. 13, runs 5 to 7 p.m., with Santa arriving at 5:20. Two days before that, Santa's Sleigh Ride leaves the Solana Beach Fire Station at 500 Lomas Santa Fe Drive at 2:30 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 11, and returns there at the end.
What the road looks like next fall
The finished road will look different but still carry the same traffic. The council earlier directed staff to keep four travel lanes and drop the proposed roundabouts. The final design keeps two lanes each way and adds:
- Class II bike lanes in both directions
- The north-side multi-use path and a new south-side sidewalk
- Raised, landscaped medians
- Decorative wall and seating areas, plus trash and recycling bins
- ADA-compliant curb ramps, storm drain upgrades and signal changes
A new decorative retaining wall is also planned near Santa Helena and Las Banderas.
On cost: the council awarded the construction contract to Tri-Group Construction and Development, Inc. on May 27, 2026, for $6,740,708, with a $675,000 contingency. Most of the money is a $7 million Community Project Funding grant obtained through Congressman Mike Levin. Measure S and Transportation Impact Fee funds cover the rest. The city calls this "the first phase of the Lomas Santa Fe Corridor Improvements," and the stalled West segment is the next one.
For questions about a specific driveway, detour or bike route, the project helpline is (858) 723-8511, and the project email is [email protected]. The project page has a sign-up link for email updates.
Robert Blank has lived in Cardiff-by-the-Sea since 1973 and has seen many North County corridors rebuilt. If you're wondering how 14 months of work on Lomas could affect your plans to sell, buy or just get across town, Robert Blank Realtor is glad to talk it through. Get in Touch.
