City officials Monday announced that Jimmy Durante Boulevard, Del Mar’s widest road, is set to receive two inches of fresh blacktop as part of a $3.5 million paving and striping program scheduled to be completed by spring next year.
The project will replace all pavement between the southern side of the intersection of Via de la Valle and the San Dieguito River Bridge. Jimmy Durante Boulevard wraps around the Del Mar Fairgrounds, which is host to the annual San Diego County Fair. The area is home to horse racing events with the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club, live music at the The Sound, and more venue and event spaces.
At least 340,000 square feet of pavement is scheduled for repair, amounting to six football fields, representing nearly 8% of the pavement infrastructure that Del Mar maintains, according to a presentation during a Dec. 1 City Council meeting.
Officials said the improvements will fit within the existing curb-to- curb width, with existing curbs, gutters and sidewalks remaining intact. Project improvements will include asphalt replacement, structural repairs to the subsurface, if needed, and reflective traffic striping.
The road segment is about three quarters of a mile and ranges in width from 40 to 112 feet, which includes multiple lanes in each direction, dedicated turn lanes, a striped median, and northbound and southbound bicycle lanes, according to an agenda report from the city.
“A revised striping plan is designed to improve traffic flow and pedestrian safety. In particular, planned striping with green paint is designed to make drivers and bicyclists more aware of each other as they share the road,” the city said in a statement.
Breaking down the $3.5 million project costs
The total cost for the $3.5 million project breaks down as follows:
— design, $57,300;
— estimated construction cost, $2,760,000;
— construction contingency (10%), $276,000 and;
— the remaining budget to be used for construction management, inspection, materials testing, engineering services during construction, $406,700.
Funding for the project was allocated from several sources, including the General Fund, SB-1, TransNet, Measure Q, State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds and the Regional Transportation Congestion Improvement Program.
Officials said traffic will be maintained in both directions during construction, and a completion date of May 2026, is expected.
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