Coastal Rail Resiliency Study Seeks To Refine Concepts
Written by Jennifer McLawhorn, Managing Editor
Courtesy of OCTA
ORANGE COUNTY, Calif. - OCTA will discuss its Coastal Rail Resiliency Study during a virtual public meeting on July 29. The study is focused on addressing the continued coastal erosion and unstable bluffs in San Clemente.
OCTA will hold a meeting on Tuesday, July 29 via Zoom in which it will gather public input for its Coastal Rail Resiliency Study. 20 draft alternative concepts were “unveiled” earlier this month that could be utilized to reinforce the rail line. At the July 29 meeting, OCTA will use the feedback to “refine these concepts” and come to a conclusion on which “alternatives to include in the final study.” That final study is expected to finish next year before going to the OCTA Board of Directors for consideration. The Coastal Rail Resiliency Study solutions include sand nourishment and rock revetment among others. The objective of the study is to seek out long-term solutions that will ensure the protection of the line for up to 30 years. OCTA states that another state-led initiative will evaluate and consider strategies that go beyond the 30-year timeline, covering a “potential inland relocation of the rail line.”
Proposed alternatives that will address “future threats to the rail corridor” are outlined in the July 29 presentation. These include “nature-based and engineering solutions,” covering an elevation to the track, sand nourishment, catchment walls, slope grading, and improvements to drainage.
Emergency Work
The study is separate from emergency work that is underway. Throughout the spring, RT&S has reported on said emergency work taking place in San Clemente. This work included “placing 5,900 tons of riprap, or large boulders, through the area.” Crews placed 240,000 cubic yards of sand in Areas 1 and 2 between Mariposa Point and North Beach as well as demobilized equipment, cleared construction staging areas, tested rail signals, and resurfaced and inspected track.
