The pedestrian crossing between North Coast Highway 101 and Vulcan Avenue is a two-mile stretch that had no safe rail crossing until recently.
ENCINITAS, California — A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held on Sunday to celebrate the completion of El Portal Undercrossing at Encinitas.
The pedestrian crossing between North Coast Highway 101 and Vulcan Avenue is a two-mile stretch that had no safe rail crossing until recently.
“It connects people on the west side to schools on the east side. It connects most of the population living on the east side of the rail to the beach, commercial corridors, restaurants, bus stops,” said Catherine Blakespear, Mayor of Encinitas.
Before the undercrossing is completed, people who want to cross the rails safely and legally must use the crossing on Encinitas Boulevard or Leucadia Boulevard.
“This section is 2.5 miles that doesn’t have a safe intersection when we put this in the middle, it provides connectivity if no one is driving around,” Blakespear said.
One can use stairs or climbs to descend to the undercrossing so it is friendly for people of all mobility needs. Improvements will also help save people time on the go. Families share their joy
Erin, a resident of Encinitas, said that her sister attends a nearby elementary school. He remembered how dangerous the area was for pedestrians.
“He and his friends used to have to walk where the traffic was really bad and now, we have this nice pedestrian crossing,” he said.
This project is part of the Leucadia Streetscape project. The crew started working on the undercrossing at the end of 2020.
RELATED WATCH: Encinitas residents upset with City about unfinished streets in the neighborhood (June 2022).
