El Camino Real Widening Project, Arenal Road to La Costa Avenue

The El Camino Real Widening Project, managed by the City of Carlsbad, involves expanding El Camino Real between Arenal Road and La Costa Avenue from two southbound vehicular travel lanes to three. The scope of work includes installing eight-foot buffered bike lanes in both directions, constructing a new sidewalk between Arenal Road and the San Marcos Creek Bridge, and building new pedestrian bridges on both sides of the creek. Additionally, the project entails relocating and abandoning utilities at the San Marcos Creek Crossing, performing grading, and implementing intersection improvements at La Costa Avenue and Costa Del Mar Road to ensure ADA-compliant curb ramps. The southbound approach to Arenal Road will also be restriped to include one left turn lane, two through lanes, and one shared through-right lane. Located within the Coastal Zone in Carlsbad, California, the project requires the acquisition of some right-of-way and the permanent removal of 0.201 acre of hardline preserve areas via a Habitat Management Plan amendment. Due to environmental and cultural sensitivities, the contractor must provide paleontological monitoring by a professional paleontologist and tribal cultural monitoring by a qualified archaeologist and Luiseño Native American. All construction crews are required to undergo cultural awareness and sensitivity training. The project is subject to oversight by the California Coastal Commission and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, with a public review period scheduled from October 24 to November 24, 2025.