NCTD repairs Del Mar Bluff track washout

The North County Transit District (NCTD) yesterday completed track repairs on portions of the right-of-way on the Del Mar Bluffs in California, that were damaged by erosion washouts following a rainstorm in late November. 

Last week, Mid-Coast Transit Constructors and DrillTech constructed steel-reinforced shotcrete retaining structures between the existing concrete piles at a section of track near 15th Street in the Del Mar, California. Crews also installed a temporary fix with two steel plates and concrete slurry at a second erosion point, NCTD officials said in a press release.

Jacobs Engineering and Leighton Consulting Inc. conducted a preliminary field inspection report of the area and concluded the cause of the washouts were excessive stormwater run-off from the city’s residential streets and adjacent properties, incorrectly channeled stormwater at existing drainage facilities, debris on the end of track ties and excessive silt at drainage channels from heavy rain. 

In response to the findings and recommendations from the consultant firms, NCTD has improved its inspection protocols and plans to procure supplemental resources to assist in managing the challenges on the Bluffs, officials said.