OCTA advances San Clemente rail work without firm sand timeline

Orange County Transportation Authority officials approved emergency work to place sand and riprap along San Clemente’s coastal rail line, but the agency has not set a firm completion date for the full project, Voice of OC reported.

The work follows damage from high tides on the outskirts of Hurricane Marie that shut part of the coastal railroad line for more than a week, according to Voice of OC. The corridor carries Pacific Surfliner service and runs through a city facing long-running beach erosion concerns.

Voice of OC reported that OCTA’s emergency declaration allows the agency to move ahead with sand and boulder placement along the San Clemente coast without waiting for a contractor bidding process.

OCTA plans to place 240,000 cubic yards of sand between North Beach and Mariposa Point and 450,000 cubic yards at San Clemente State Beach, according to an agency report cited by Voice of OC. The 690,000 cubic yards of planned sand placement is expected to create 80 to 130 feet of new dry beach in those areas.

According to the OCTA website, "95% of the material placed will be sand and 5% will be riprap placement." OCTA Chair Jamey Federico wrote in a press release, "With the potential for El Niño conditions this fall and winter, this emergency action gives OCTA the ability to move as quickly as possible to strengthen protection of the rail line and help keep trains moving safely,"

OCTA Spokesperson Eric Carpenter told Voice of OC in an email Tuesday, "There is not a firm completion date for all of the emergency work," Carpenter also wrote, "There are few U.S.-qualified hopper dredges capable of performing this work, and many are committed to projects months in advance."

San Clemente City Manager Andy Hall said at a Monday board meeting, "Everything that we’re trying to do is very consistent with what you’re trying to do and, in the end, I know we’re going to end up with a situation that not only protects the rail, but also makes the other issues in San Clemente better," according to Voice of OC. Hall later wrote to Voice of OC, "The City is optimistic that the commitment from OCTA to include beach nourishment in their efforts to stabilize the rail line will result in a more resilient shoreline in San Clemente,"

San Clemente city leaders say the city needs more than four million cubic yards of sand in the next few years, while residents have supported Measure M, a 1% sales tax proposal that will appear on the ballot this year, Voice of OC reported.