The Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) Board of Directors declared an emergency on along the coastal Rail Line in San Clemente to authorize shoreline protection and place 690,000 cubic yards of sand to protect the railroad from further erosion.
This comes after California Governor Gavin Newsom’s Sept. 21 state of emergency proclamation in preparation for developing El Niño conditions. On Monday, the Board authorized OCTA CEO Darrel E. Johnson to secure “specialized contractors, materials, marine dredging equipment and sand sources as they become available,” according to the report. The authority allows OCTA to accelerate contracting and procurement when available, but it does not eliminate any environmental review or permitting requirements.
The emergency action is an attempt to avoid any delays that could leave the infrastructure vulnerable to storms and waves on the shoreline. Earlier this month, OCTA says high tides and waves “overtopped” the tracks and caused erosion and further deterioration of the coastal slope. As a result, passenger service was temporarily closed in the area for emergency work to take place.
Along San Clemente State Beach, crews are constructing an engineered shoreline protection structure and repairing riprap along three-quarters of a mile south of the beach. This area, OCTA says, has limited or no protection from the elements. In addition, crews are placing 690,000 cubic yards of sand. 240,000 cubic yards of which will be placed between Mariposa Point and North Beach (see map). The remaining sand will be placed south of San Clemente State Beach. The Surfside-Sunset has been identified as a viable source of “beach-compatible sand,” and its use has been approved by the Southern California Dredged Material Management Team…