Lomas Santa Fe Construction in Solana Beach: What to Expect

Solana Beach's first City Council was supposed to be sworn in on the evening of July 1, 1986. The ceremony was moved to sunrise, on the bluff above Fletcher Cove. According to The Coast News, the council had learned that San Diego County was trying to push through a batch of building permits before it lost authority. Councilmember Richard Hendlin told the paper the new council's first act was a 45-day moratorium on any permits still pending before the county.

So the city started by taking control of its own streets and land, and forty years on it is using that control on its own main inland road. The City's project page says construction on the Lomas Santa Fe Corridor – East project starts Tuesday, October 13, which replaces the October 5 date the Union-Tribune reported in September. The anniversary events run through the same months. Road crews work weekdays, and most of the events land on weekends.

A city that formed over land-use control

The Coast News explains why cityhood mattered so much. The county had backed large commercial development around the San Elijo Lagoon along Coast Highway 101. Three incorporation campaigns failed before Proposition N passed in 1986 with nearly 65% of the vote. The first council was Mayor Margaret Schlesinger and council members Jack Moore, Richard Hendlin, Marion Dodson and Celine Olson.

This July, the current council passed a proclamation for the 40th anniversary. "There are 24 of us who have been serving this community over these 40 years," Mayor Lesa Heebner said, as The Coast News reported. The celebrations opened with a one-night edition of Concerts at the Cove on Fletcher Cove Beach, with BetaMaxx and Atomic Groove playing '80s hits.

The Lomas Santa Fe project fits that history. It's a $7.5 million job paid for with a grant from Congressman Mike Levin plus the city's own Transportation Impact Fee and Measure S funds, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune. The City calls it the first phase of a larger set of Lomas Santa Fe Corridor improvements.

What's happening between Santa Helena and Highland

The work zone runs along Lomas Santa Fe Drive from Santa Helena Drive to Highland Drive. Over the first few weeks, the City's project page says to expect cones and signs, survey marks on the pavement, and small test holes, called potholing, to find water, gas and electrical lines underground.

City Engineer Austin Frisby told the Union-Tribune the work will move east to west in this order:

1. Raised medians, planted with native, drought-tolerant landscaping.
2. A new sidewalk on the south side of Lomas Santa Fe.
3. North-side roadway work, including 0.93 miles of multi-use path that the paper compared to the Coastal Rail Trail.

The full list also includes Class II bike lanes in both directions, ADA curb ramps, storm drain and water-quality upgrades, changes to traffic signals, and new decorative walls with seating areas. The Union-Tribune said a decorative retaining wall is planned near Santa Helena and Las Banderas. City Manager Alyssa Muto described the finished road to the paper as "a wonderful roadway with two lanes in each direction, some beautiful medians, some bike lanes and a lovely multi-use path with vegetation."

Sources differ a little on the end date. The City's page says fall 2027, the May council presentation said late summer 2027, and the Union-Tribune wrote "through summer 2027." That puts completion somewhere between summer and fall of next year. The City hasn't posted where each phase starts and stops, so the project page is the place to check before planning around a particular block.

The weekday clock

Here's the schedule detail that matters most. The Union-Tribune reported crews will work Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., with at least one lane open in each direction the whole time. "We're not closing any roads, we'll always have a lane open in each direction at all times," Greg Gomez, project manager for the city's engineering and construction firm Kleinfelder, told the paper. The City's FAQ adds that there's no work on City holidays or around Thanksgiving and Christmas. It also lists a pause during the Del Mar Fair, so summer 2027 will have a break too.

The paper reported two exceptions. During two brief phases, residents of the Via Mil Cumbres community will be sent to one of two other exits. At council, some public comments raised the worry that drivers would cut through parallel streets like Sun Valley Road. Sun Valley Road is also the address of the Lomas Santa Fe Executive Golf Course, at 1580 Sun Valley Road. The Lomas Santa Fe Country Club is right on the corridor at 1505 Lomas Santa Fe Drive. If you have a weekday tee time, it's worth checking the project page that morning.

The City says crews will keep access to homes and businesses open whenever possible and will give advance notice of any restrictions where it can. You can sign up for email updates at the top of the project page. The Union-Tribune said outreach will also include large digital message boards and a helpline.

The weekend clock

With October 13 on a Tuesday, the rest of the fall calendar lines up like this. Most of the City and community events fall on Saturdays and Sundays, when crews are off.

The Fire Department open house and Santa's Sleigh Ride both start from the station on Lomas Santa Fe Drive. The open house is on a Saturday. The sleigh ride starts at 2:30 p.m. on a Friday, during crew hours, and the City's event page has a map with estimated times for when Santa will pass each area. The Veterans Day ceremony is the one Wednesday event, and it's at La Colonia Park.

Where the anniversary itself shows up

October 18 is the only event this fall that the City explicitly ties to the 40th. The City and the La Colonia Community Foundation chose the anniversary as this year's Día de los Muertos theme. The event page lists photos from across the city's history as the main display, a cake cutting, and a limited-edition mug giveaway. The day's centerpiece is still more than 40 altars honoring family and friends who have died. Danza Azteca San Luis Rey blesses them at 10 a.m. The lineup also includes the MiraCosta Ballet Folklórico Club, a classic car show by the Viejitos Car Club, music from Los Gringos Muertos Band, Ilusión Norteña, JoJo Productions and Mariachi Del Mar, plus a Catrin/Catrina costume contest and a dog costume contest. Parking will be limited. The City suggests carpooling, biking, walking or transit, and bringing your own chairs and blankets.

Five days later, on Cedros, Encore Sushi holds its grand opening with a Chamber ribbon-cutting. It's in the former Kai Ola space next to the Belly Up and is open Tuesday through Sunday.

The longer read for a slow evening

The Solana Beach Civic and Historical Society points to Making Great Better: 100 Years of Creating a California Coastal City. It's local author Peter House's expanded update of his 2025 book, Tale of a City, revised for the anniversary. The book covers Fletcher Cove, Highway 101, Cedros Avenue, La Colonia, the suburbs and the smaller commercial centers. House offers it free as an illustrated PDF, and printed editions are also available. He writes that incorporation came after "12 years of discussion, two failed San Dieguito efforts, one failed Solana Beach-only vote, and, finally, a successful campaign built on local confidence."

Douglas Alden chairs BikeWalkSolana and has worked on the Lomas project since 2017. "It's going to be a little bit of pain but a lot to gain," he told the San Diego Union-Tribune. Under the City's current schedule, the rebuilt road and its new path should be finished in summer or fall 2027.

If you own a home along Lomas Santa Fe and want to know how the corridor work might affect your home's value over the next year, Michelle Warner can walk you through it. Start with an instant home valuation, and we'll keep an eye on the project page with you.