Del Mar Reconfiguration Project 

This project includes construction activities at SDG&E’s existing Del Mar Substation immediately northwest of the intersection of Interstate 5 and Via De La Valle, and east along Via De La Valle to the intersection of El Camino Real in San Diego.

The project also includes:

• Removal of a 69kV transmission line which extends approximately six miles from the Del Mar Substation to the intersection of Vista Sorrento Parkway and Pacific Plaza Drive
• Undergrounding two distribution circuits in Del Mar and Sorrento Valley
• Removal of 35 existing poles and associated conduit
• Replacement of 23 poles

The Del Mar Reconfiguration Project was approved by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) in June 2019 and the California Coastal Commission in October 2022. SDG&E is working with federal, state and local agencies including U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the California Department of Parks and Recreation, the Water Resources Control Board, United States Fish and Wildlife Service and the Cities of San Diego and Del Mar on the appropriate permits to construct the project.

The Del Mar Reconfiguration Project is located in the northwestern portion of the City of San Diego and the City of Del Mar, with a portion of the project located in the San Dieguito Lagoon, the Los Penasquitos Lagoon, and Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve.

Phase 1, which focused on reconfiguring an overhead transmission line on Via de la Valle, was located in the City of Del Mar and the City of San Diego. This first phase of the project was completed in November 2022.

Phase 2, which includes undergrounding two distribution lines, is located in two communities: the City of Del Mar and the City of San Diego. Circuit 510 is located along San Dieguito Drive and Racetrack View Drive in Del Mar; Circuit 1448 is located along the pedestrian path near the Los Penasquitos Lagoon in Sorrento Valley.

Phase 3, which will remove a six-mile transmission line and related poles, starts in Del Mar at the SDG&E substation on Via de la Valle. The line follows Jimmy Durante Boulevard south, across a portion of the San Dieguito Lagoon, over a neighborhood in the Del Mar Heights area along Interstate 5. It then crosses over part of Torrey Pines State Reserve and Los Penasquitos Lagoon, ending at Sorrento Valley Road in the City of San Diego.

In January 2022, SDG&E began construction on the first phase of the Del Mar Reconfiguration Project, which included the reconfiguration of an 69 kV overhead power line along Via de la Valle in Del Mar. SDG&E installed a new one-mile section of a 69 kV underground transmission line on Via De La Valle.

SDG&E also installed two new steel poles on the east end of the Del Mar Horsepark property, where the remaining overhead power line transitioned to underground. Part of this reconfiguration also included the removal of 700 feet of overhead power line. This phase of the project was completed and energized in November 2022.

The second phase of the project started in January 2023 and includes the conversion of two distribution circuits. The first, Circuit 510, is located along San Dieguito Drive and Racetrack View Drive in Del Mar. As part of this conversion to underground, SDG&E will convert approximately 3/4 mile of overhead power lines from overhead to underground; we will also remove five existing wood poles. To accommodate the conversion to an underground configuration, several new riser poles will be installed to connect the overhead portion of the line to the new underground section.

The second distribution power line, Circuit 1448, is located along the pedestrian/multi-use path near Los Penasquitos Lagoon in Sorrento Valley. As part of this phase, SDG&E will remove two existing wood poles and convert approximately 630 feet of existing overhead distribution line to underground. To accommodate the conversion to an underground configuration, several existing wood poles will be converted to riser poles to connect the overhead portion of the line to the new underground section. Phase 2 is expected to be completed in Q2 of 2023.

The final phase of the project will begin in September 2023, after bird nesting season, and involves the removal of about six miles of a transmission line that begins at the Del Mar Substation on Via de la Valle and extends south on Jimmy Durante Boulevard, across the southeast section of the San Dieguito Lagoon to Racetrack View Drive. From there, the transmission line parallels I-5 and residential neighborhoods near Mango Drive to Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve and Los Penasquitos Lagoon, ending at Sorrento Valley Road. As part of this phase of the project, 35 existing transmission poles and power lines will be permanently removed from the lagoon areas and Torrey Pines State Reserve. Construction on Phase 3 of the Del Mar Reconfiguration Project is expected to be complete in Q4 of 2023.

This project addresses safety, environmental and reliability concerns within the Del Mar Substation Area. It also meets the North American Electric Reliability Corporation criteria in the Del Mar Substation Area, provides significant environmental benefits to coastal wetlands and improves aesthetics along the lagoon areas, river park trails and surrounding communities.

A total of 35 transmission poles will be removed permanently, along with six miles of overheard circuit, as part of the Del Mar Reconfiguration Project.

All 11 poles from the San Dieguito Lagoon will be removed (seven transmission poles and four distribution poles). Two of the four distribution poles will be removed and replaced outside of the lagoon with riser poles.

Ten poles will be permanently removed from Los Penasquitos Lagoon, and six poles will be removed from Torrey Pines State Reserve. Additionally, nine poles will be removed in the Del Mar Heights area.

Additional poles within the lagoon and environmentally sensitive areas may be identified for removal at a later date, but their removal would not fall under this Project.

SDG&E’s contractor will be utilizing helicopters for personnel to access and remove the structures within the lagoon. Aerial activities will be conducted outside of the bird nesting season and will have full-time safety and environmental monitoring. Poles will be cut one to two feet below the lagoon water level, leaving the pole bases intact. This activity will typically take place during low tide and must be completed outside of bird nesting season. Construction timelines for these activities are Oct. 1, 2023 to Jan. 31, 2024.

Construction on Phase 2, which began in January 2023 in the Cities of Del Mar and San Diego, will take place Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. (unless otherwise allowed by permits).

Phase 3 will begin in September 2023 and will take place Monday to Saturday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Schedules are subject to change without notice due to inclement weather, permitting requirements or other unforeseen issues.

Traffic delays and temporary lane closures are expected. SDG&E plans to have traffic control measures in place during construction, and our crews will strive to minimize any impacts to you and your neighbors. Work along the route may occur intermittently, and construction activities required in a certain area may not be completed concurrently. There will be multiple construction locations and activities taking place simultaneously, with work hours, traffic control measures and noise restrictions for each area established by local jurisdictions.