Cliff Drive Resiliency Project

The City of Capitola Public Works Department (City), is proposing a project to address coastal bluff erosion and associated undermining of the roadway along approximately 800 feet of Cliff Drive in Capitola. The proposed restoration project is intended to remediate current bluff erosion and provide resiliency for projected increased erosion associated with climate change/sea-level rise. Bluff erosion has threatened this route since the 1960s and is expected to worsen due to rising sea levels and more intense storms from climate change. The City of Capitola seeks a strategy to manage access along the portion Cliff Drive adjacent to the coastal bluff. In its current configuration Cliff Drive is a busy corridor serving walkers, bicyclists, motorists, and those parking to enjoy the stunning vistas of the Pacific Ocean. Due to the lack of sidewalks along Cliff Drive, conflicts between pedestrians and motorists are possible. The proposed project would include bluff stabilization via a soil-nail-anchored shotcrete wall, rock protection at the base of the bluff, and a resurfaced roadway with two travel lanes, parking and a bike lane. These improvements would be implemented along the nearly 800-foot stretch of Cliff Drive between Portola Drive and Wharf Road in Capitola. This roadway alignment is classified as a minor arterial roadway, and accommodates nearly 8,000 vehicles daily alongside hundreds of bicyclists and pedestrians. It also serves as the primary evacuation route for Capitola Village.