Pipeline construction work for the City of San Diego’s Pure Water program will require the partial closure of the La Jolla Village Drive and Towne Center Drive intersection in University City for an estimated two weeks beginning Monday, June 19. Equipment staging and traffic pattern adjustments will begin after 8 p.m. on Sunday, June 18.

Two-way traffic flowing east and west on La Jolla Village Drive will always be maintained. From approximately June 19-25, the northern portion of the Towne Centre Drive and La Jolla Village Drive intersection will be closed, followed by the closure of the southern portion of the intersection, from approximately June 25 to July 2. Crews will be working 24 hours a day.

Construction teams will be installing one 48-inch wastewater pipeline and one 30-inch brine pipeline in a 20-foot-deep trench through the intersection. The pipeline work is one of 10 different projects currently underway that will eventually help produce 30 million gallons per day of high-quality purified water, reducing the City’s dependence on imported water.

Commuters are advised to avoid the area if possible or use alternate routes. Construction will occur 24 hours a day and two-way traffic on La Jolla Village Drive will remain open throughout the duration. To lessen the impact of the closure, work was scheduled after the conclusion of the UC San Diego school year. More details about the project and related traffic impacts can be found on the City’s website.

Detour information will be posted near the site. For the safety of drivers, pedestrians and construction crews, temporary concrete barriers will be installed, in addition to fencing, to enforce the closure. To access businesses on Towne Centre Drive, drivers are encouraged to use Executive or Nobel drives. Crosswalks at the intersection will also be closed during construction; pedestrians should instead cross at Executive Way.

The construction work is part of the Morena Northern Pipelines and Tunnels infrastructure project that will connect the Morena Pipelines Middle Alignment to the south and the North City Water Reclamation Plant to the north as part of the Pure Water program. The pipelines will carry treated wastewater to the plant where it will be processed before being further filtered at the North City Pure Water Facility.

Pure Water San Diego is the City’s phased, multi-year program that will provide nearly half of San Diego’s water supply locally by the end of 2035. The program will use proven water purification technology to clean recycled water to produce safe, high-quality drinking water. The program offers a cost-effective investment for San Diego’s water needs and will provide a reliable, sustainable water supply.