Revegetation Efforts Aid in Railway Projects

Nov. 29, 2021

SWS Highlights the Top Storm Water & Erosion Control Projects

About the author:

Winner profiles were compiled by SWS Managing Editor Katie Johns and Associate Editor Cristina Tuser. Johns can be reached at [email protected] and Tuser can be reached at [email protected].

undefined

Location: San Diego, California

Cost: $21 million (for just the erosion
control, landscape & irrigation efforts)

Size: 42 acres

Owner: San Diego Associated Governments (SANDAG)

Managers: Caltrans, Mid-Coast Transit Constructors (MCTC-JV consisting of Stacy and Witbeck, Herzog, and Skanska)

Federal Transit Administration

Designer: KTU&A

Contractors: Diversified Landscape Co. &  Profile Products

Manufacturer: FINN

The San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) is currently working on multiple projects to support growth in the Los Angeles - San Diego - San Luis Obispo (LOSSAN Corridor). One of these is the Mid-Coast Corridor Transit Project. This project is an 11-mile extension of the San Diego Trolley that will operate within the right-of-way of the Metropolitan Transit System (MTS).

The other work in the overall project includes the San Diego River Double Track and the Elvira to Morena Double Track, each of which are adding a second main track in their portions of the MTS.

To complete these projects, the contractors must earn a Notice of Termination, which includes revegetation efforts along the new railways. To meet these requirements, the project includes amending the soil with biotic soil media, establishing sustainable vegetation, and safely applying an erosion control product to hold seed and soil in place until germination.

Like many projects, the Mid-Coast Transit Corridor project, which is still ongoing, dealt with numerous challenges, including poor soil conditions, limited rainfall and vegetating steep slopes in highly trafficked areas and more. Additionally, it was important to the project team to apply the proper solution on the first try as this project uses taxpayer dollars.

As of press time, based on areas where construction is complete, the vegetative cover has unofficially achieved 70% cover. The team is confident that when the Notice of Termination is filed in 2022, it will be accepted.