Background

In the last ten years, Caltrans has invested over $60 million in transportation improvements within the Corridor and nearby communities. These are a combination of safety, operational, and maintenance projects. Caltrans is constantly working on improving safety and evacuation readiness. Some of the recent work includes a project to add centerline channelizers, upgrade barriers, install Changeable Message Signs, and closed-circuit monitoring. The benefits of this project include:

• Reduced head-on and serious injury collisions
• Increased night visibility
• Informing the public of upcoming roadway conditions and delays

Emergency evacuation is a shared responsibility between the Sheriff, Office of Emergency Services, CAL Fire, CHP, and Caltrans. This 16-mile stretch of roadway is essentially built into the sides of mountains, through canyons, rural neighborhoods, and alternates between 2 and 4 lanes. Caltrans and SANDAG are crucial transportation partners to these communities but are not the only ones. The county of San Diego is also working on improving the Corridor with the upcoming Bradley Ave Bridge widening and the Riverford Rd interchange projects. Caltrans and SANDAG work together in our region to make decisions on projects and investments. In the case of SR-67, Caltrans funded most of the projects contained in the regional plan and supplemented them with local dollars.

Project Description

The SR-67 Highway Improvements Project is primarily an operational improvement project emphasizing improving typical and emergency highway operations under evacuation conditions such as wildfires. Various travel modes are considered during typical and emergency highway conditions, including emergency access, recreational access, and wildlife connectivity. The improvements will address deficiencies in multimodal transportation along with recreational and wildlife movement. Multimodal transportation includes buses, active bicycles, and pedestrian options. Three improvement alternatives and a No-Build alternative are being evaluated and considered as potential improvements to the SR-67 Highway Improvements Project.

What's Being Considered

The alternatives for potential improvements being considered are the following. A no-build alternative is also being considered. All three studied alternatives meet evacuation performance goals:

• 4 Southbound Evacuation Lanes (Highland Valley Rd / Dye Rd to Poway Rd
• 3 Southbound Evacuation Lanes (Poway Rd to Scripps Poway Rd)
• 1 Northbound Lane throughout the project limits.

Purpose

The State Route (SR-67) Improvements Project aims to improve the safe and efficient movement of people and goods utilizing various modes of travel during typical highway operations and emergencies such as wildfires.

The objectives of the proposed Project are to:

• Enhance traveler safety;
• Maintain or reduce travel times within the project limits;
• Increase temporary emergency evacuation capacity during wildfires and other emergencies;
• Encourage multimodal transportation by providing active options such as bike paths and/or lanes where feasible;
• Facilitate recreational and wildlife movement along and across the route; and
• Actively preserve the human and natural environment along the route.

Need

Highway travelers experience increased travel times and overall delays during everyday highway operations. This condition is exacerbated during emergencies such as wildfires due to a lack of temporary evacuation capacity. In addition, multimodal infrastructure is lacking despite the public demand for bus, bicycle, and pedestrian accommodations. The existing highway also limits the movement of recreational users and wildlife, including many endangered wildlife species. Access to recreational areas along SR-67 has insufficient parking, few dedicated crossings, and limited trail-network connectivity. There are no dedicated crossings for wildlife within the project limits.

Map

San Vicente CMCP

The San Vicente Comprehensive Multimodal Corridor Plan (CMCP) studied ways to improve transportation safety, enhance emergency evacuation options, maintain rural community character, increase mobility options, and create more excellent trip reliability and efficiency. The plan was developed in partnership with the City of Poway, the County of San Diego (Ramona and Lakeside communities), and tribal governments. The completed CMCP will help the San Diego region compete for local, state, and federal funds, including SB 1.

The San Vicente CMCP project team examined and analyzed the corridor’s performance and estimated its future use based on the area’s complex geographic, demographic, economic, and social characteristics. The team also collected community and stakeholder feedback via public meetings and the virtual engagement hub.

Major transportation facilities included in the San Vicente study area are State Route 67 (SR 67) from Mapleview Street in Lakeside to State Route 78 (SR 78) in Ramona, SR 78 within the Ramona Community Plan Area, and other arterial roadways including roadway connections to tribal lands.

After the Regional Transportation Plan and the San Vicente Comprehensive Multimodal Corridor Plan included this project in 2022, Caltrans incorporated various elements that were considered a must for the community, including recreational improvements, active transportation, and wildlife crossings, into the three alternatives. CEQA and NEPA will guide the Caltrans decisions that follow.

Information on the SR-67 San Vicente CMCP can be found here: https://www.sandag.org/regional-plan/comprehensive-multimodal-corridor-plans/san-vicente-cmcp

Project Progress

2019-2020

• Project Funding Approved
• Project Approval & Environmental
• Document (PA&ED) Phase Initiated
• DIB 93 Evacuation Route Design Guidance

January & February 2021

• Public Comment Period and,
• Public Scoping Meeting

December 2021

• Development of Draft Evacuation Plan Recommendations Report and,
• 3 Build Alternatives

September 2022

• San Vicente Comprehensive Multimodal Corridor Plans (CMCP)

October 2023

• Design Funding Approved

2025

• Studied Alternatives Analysis

Summer 2026

• Draft Project Report and,
• Draft Environmental Document

Fall 2026

• Public Hearing

Summer 2027

• Final Environmental Document
• Alternative Selection
• Final Project Report

Winter 2027

• Begin Design

Completed

• Preliminary Design Plans (for 3 Studied Alternatives)
• Traffic Forecasting/Modeling Volumes
• Final Noise Study Report
• Paleontology Study
• Field Surveys for Biological Studies

Ongoing

• Draft Evacuation Analysis
• Draft Geotechnical Report, expected completion December 2024
• Bridge Advance Planning Study, expected completion June 2025
• Traffic Studies
• ​Biological and Wildlife Movement
• Cultural / Ecological / Air Quality​ / Hazardous Waste / Visual Analysis
• VMT Analysis & Mitigation