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11/16/2022
The Orange County Transportation Authority this week began emergency construction activity on the railroad stabilization project in San Clemente, California.
The stabilization is necessary to continue running freight and passenger trains through the corridor, which brushes up against the coastl. Due to its proximity to the ocean and proneness to erosion, the tracks have gradually shifted, threatening the tracks’ stability, OCTA officials said in a press release.
Metrolink and Amtrak service has been suspended since September due to the unstable track. Officials estimate the tracks shifted by as much as 28 inches since September 2021. BNSF Railway Co. has suspended freight-rail service on the tracks.
The repair work includes drilling 100-foot steel anchors into the bedrock of the slope adjacent to the tracks to prevent it from further sliding toward the ocean. Work is expected to finish in February 2023, though OCTA officials said the construction timeline is subject to change based on the availability of construction materials and inclement weather.
OCTA is working with geotechnical contractor Condon-Johnson & Associates Inc. on the project.
Estimated to cost $12 million, the project is funded by state and federal funds. The California Transportation Commission has agreed to cover half of the cost.
OCTA is reviewing long-term options to protect the rail line.