CARLSBAD — Construction is underway on the Batiquitos Lagoon Double Track project, a $166 million effort to replace an 80-year-old wooden bridge and add a second rail line to improve train service along the coastal corridor.
Officials say the project will boost rail capacity, reduce delays, and improve safety along one of the nation’s busiest passenger and freight corridors, while also restoring sensitive habitat for an endangered species.
The nesting habitat for the California Least Tern was completed recently, but the bridge won’t be finished until 2028 due to seasonal restrictions tied to the bird’s nesting period from mid-April to July 31, according to SANDAG Project Manager Mike DeWitt.
“The ability to get more of the project’s double-tracked and getting more longer segments double-tracked allows us to get more trains on the corridor,” DeWitt added. “If we can get more trains, say every 20 minutes,…..
