It’s the largest transportation infrastructure project in recent San Diego County history and it's right on track to be completed at the end of the year.
One business that continues to thrive during the coronavirus pandemic is construction, and the Mid-Coast Trolley Expansion project is making good progress. Construction for the project began in late 2016 and has continued through the pandemic while hitting marks on its schedule.
The expansion portion begins in Old Town San Diego and heads north, hugging Interstate 5 up to the University of California San Diego campus.
Right now, crews are extending the Blue Line service of the trolley by 11 miles. Nine new stations are being added, as well.
An important addition to the service is the direct stop to the VA Hospital, something that will prove to be convenient for veterans.
The trolley line will also extend service from the Santa Fe Depot stop in downtown to the university community area, serving popular areas like Old Town, UC San Diego and University Towne Centre along the way.
As this massive project wraps up, the San Diego Association of Governments is busy making new plans for mass transit, like creating a proposal to cover even more parts of the county.
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“We’re thinking about 350 miles of rail underground and above ground," said Hasan Ikhrata, CEO of SANDAG. "Light and heavy rail and subway systems. But we’re excited. We just want to show San Diegans just a glimpse of what the future looks like when it comes to transportation."
The Mid-Coast Trolley Expansion is expected to be open to the public by late 2021 and until then, residents may start seeing the trolleys on the tracks, crews testing their progress and employees training before opening to the public.
