Carmageddon: Capitola’s Grand Avenue pathway; Caltrans projects on Highways 1 and 9

An engineering report about a crumbling cliffside walking trail in Capitola says preserving the walkway so it can withstand rain and runoff will require a lot more than just a basic rebuild, but even that would be no guarantee against coastal erosion. 

The Capitola City Council will discuss a report on the Grand Avenue Pathway at its meeting Thursday and consider possible next steps. Part of the popular coastal walkway between Oakland Avenue and Saxon Avenue just above Capitola Village collapsed into the ocean in February.

The city hired Pacific Crest Engineering to evaluate the collapse. In April, the firm found the grassy bluffs topped with pavement are vulnerable to washing away when saturated with rain and runoff. It warned that even with improved drainage, the path could still fail again in less than a decade without major work to support the entire cliff — an expensive and involved project that could cost tens of millions of dollars.

Now, the engineering firm is recommending that if the city wants to keep the trail, the path should be relocated as far inland as possible. The report says the walkway should be narrower, and needs a drainage system to prevent water from pooling near the cliff edge and minimize erosion. The engineers’ analysis said this extra work could extend the life of the pathway several years longer than just relocating the path, but the risk of losing the walkway to coastal erosion will remain.

The city would need to go through the usual process of surveying the site, designing a project, conducting an environmental review and securing permits. Pacific Crest estimates that this could take six months to a year, depending on if the city pursues erosion control improvements to the cliff face. If so, the California Coastal Commission is required to review the project. 

Construction with drainage improvements, along with the pre-construction process mentioned above, is currently expected to cost between $400,000 and $700,000.

The meeting begins at 6 p.m. on Thursday. The city council could move to pursue relocating the pathway and begin work on an engineering and drainage plan.

Caltrans projects underway on Highway 9 and up the coast on Highway 1

Work is underway on two Caltrans projects in remote parts of Santa Cruz County: one to prevent coastal erosion in the northern stretch of Highway 1 and another to make a rural road in Ben Lomond more accessible to people on wheels and those with disabilities. 

Last week, crews started work on the bluffs beside Highway 1 near Waddell Beach and the Santa Cruz County-San Mateo County line, with the goal of preventing erosion and creating a safer route for drivers, cyclists and pedestrians. Crews will remove debris that slides down the steep slopes lining the coastal road to clear blocked drains and stabilize the slopes.

The $461 million project is another proactive attempt to address the growing threat of an eroding coastline. Since the winter storms of 2023, that goal is more central to county transportation and public works projects.

The project is scheduled to continue through January, with work hours from Monday through Friday between 7 a.m. and 4 p.m. and alternating one-way traffic control.

On Highway 9 in Ben Lomond, Caltrans is finishing a project it began last week: installing new Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant curb ramps on sidewalks beside the highway. The short-term project comes at the same time that the Santa Cruz Regional Transportation Commission’s plan to improve safety on rural highways is moving forward. It is currently accepting public input.

The $159,000 project is scheduled to wrap up by the end of the week. Work hours are from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Monday through Thursday and from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Friday. Two lanes of traffic will be open in each direction.

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Check out our Carmageddon road project list here. This week, pay particular attention to:

• Roadway improvements are shutting down one lane of Highway 9 between Willow Brook Drive and the northern junction of Highway 236 through May 20, 2026. Work hours are between 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Mondays through Thursdays. 

• Pavement, guardrail and erosion control work are shutting down about 1 mile of Upper East Zayante Road on weekdays between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. through early November. The road will open up between noon and 12:30 p.m. each day to let traffic pass.

• Shoulder work is causing an overnight closure of one lane of northbound Highway 1 between Buena Vista Drive and Rob Roy/Freedom Boulevard from Monday through Friday from 7:30 p.m. to 5 a.m.

• A full closure of the Murray Street Bridge is slated to run until February 2026. It is closed to vehicles, bicycles and pedestrians. Vehicle traffic detours along Soquel Avenue and Capitola Road via Seabright Avenue and 7th Avenue. Bicycles are detoured across Arana Gulch and along Broadway via Seabright Avenue and 7th Avenue. Pedestrians are detoured around the north harbor.

• The installation of the Newell Creek Pipeline on Graham Hill Road between Summit Avenue and Lockewood Lane is taking place on weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and could cause delays of up to five minutes.

• Utility work and tree work is closing down sections of Highway 9 between Main Street and Fillmore Avenue, Stapp Road and Sylvan Avenue, Bear Creek Road and Kings Creek Road, and Kings Creek Road and the Camp Campbell entrance from Monday through Friday between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m.

• Storm damage repair is shutting down sections of Eureka Canyon Road in Corralitos for several months. Work takes place on weekdays only from 7:30 a.m. through 5 p.m. and is scheduled to last through Oct. 31.

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