On Friday, Feb. 8, San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) crews closed La Jolla Village Drive to thru traffic at Genesee Avenue in the University City area to set 60-ft-long concrete girders, or beams, to construct the elevated guideway for the future Mid-Coast Trolley. Crews hoisted the 95-ton precast girders using a crane and set the girders on the columns that were built at the intersection. The girders were trucked from Riverside on special industrial trucks built to withstand extra-heavy loads. Over the next several days the concrete continued hardening and gaining strength. Last week, high-strength steel cables were installed and tensioned inside the beams, allowing support towers in the intersection to be removed and the intersection to be opened by the morning of Friday, Feb. 15. The Mid-Coast Trolley Project will extend Blue Line Trolley service from Old Town north to the University City community. Nine new stations will be constructed. Major construction work began in 2016, with service anticipated to begin in 2021.
