Construction begins on SANDAG’s 2.8-mile University Avenue bikeway, adding protected lanes and transit platforms

A major corridor project moves from planning to construction

Construction is underway on the University Bikeway, a 2.8-mile transportation project that will reshape a busy stretch of University Avenue in the Mid-City and eastern San Diego area. The project footprint runs along University Avenue between Estrella Avenue and 69th Street, with additional work on Estrella Avenue between University Avenue and Orange Avenue.

The project budget is about $44.5 million, placing it among the larger active transportation investments currently advancing in the region. The work is scheduled to be delivered in phases over roughly two years, with an expected opening to the public in September 2027 and a broader completion timeframe extending into late 2027.

What is being built

The project combines bicycle, pedestrian, and transit changes aimed at improving how different modes move through a corridor that carries heavy daily activity. Planned elements include separated bikeways designed to buffer cyclists from vehicle traffic, upgraded pavement markings and high-visibility treatments, and intersection treatments intended to reduce conflict points where turning vehicles and cyclists or pedestrians intersect.

Transit riders are also a central component of the design. The project includes bus boarding platforms at 14 intersections, a feature intended to make boarding and alighting more efficient while improving safety at stops along routes that rank among the county’s highest-ridership lines.

• Protected and buffered bicycle facilities along University Avenue
• Traffic-calming and safety features at and near intersections
• High-visibility striping and pavement markings
• Bus boarding platforms at 14 intersections

Why the corridor is targeted

Project planning has emphasized safety conditions on University Avenue, where collision history has been a persistent concern. The corridor is included in a network used to prioritize locations with higher frequencies of crashes, and the design incorporates measures intended to reduce risk for people walking, biking, taking transit, and driving.

The corridor is a high-use roadway for multiple travel modes, and the project scope focuses on separating movements and clarifying crossings and turning areas through design changes at intersections and along the curb line.

Cost pressures and timeline realities

The project reaches construction after earlier cost and procurement challenges that affected the timeline. Regional transportation agencies have faced higher construction costs in recent years, driven by inflation and the expense of complex work that can include utility coordination, roadway reconstruction elements, and accessibility upgrades. The University Bikeway’s current budget and schedule reflect those constraints as the project advances into delivery.

Construction activity is expected to bring temporary impacts, including intermittent lane restrictions and periodic night or weekend work as crews progress along the corridor.