DEL REY OAKS >> Night work is expected to occur for up to two nights next week for the placement of precast bridge slabs for the Highway 218 span of the Fort Ord Regional Trail and Greenway project through Del Rey Oaks.

Night work hours are 9 a.m. — 6 a.m., Sunday through Thursday and authorized for specific operations with advance notice. Daytime work hours are 7 a.m. — 7 p.m., Monday through Friday.

The 1.5-mile Canyon Del Rey segment, the first phase of the FORTAG project, runs from the intersection of North Fremont and Canyon Del Rey boulevards through Work Memorial and Del Rey parks, under Highway 218 — via a new roadway bridge constructed to carry vehicles using the highway — and into the corner of Frog Pond Wetland Preserve, back up to Highway 218 at Carlton Drive and on to Plumas Avenue, where it ends at Del Rey Woods Elementary School.

This week construction continues on Highway 218 with the installation of abutment drains and backfilling, installing bearing pads and preparation for precast bridge slabs, as well as the continued forming, pouring concrete, removing forms and back filling for retaining walls and drainage systems in the Work Memorial Park area. Work on the FORTAG project will also see the continued grading, forming, installing rebar, pouring concrete and back filling for sidewalks, curb and gutters, ramps and retaining curbs along Plumas Avenue between Noche Buena and Highland Street in Seaside in addition to grinding, removing AC Dike (berm), existing striping, pothole utilities and installing temporary erosion control on Carlton Drive.

The Transportation Agency for Monterey County, the lead agency on the project, is working with Caltrans District 5, the cities of Del Rey Oaks and Seaside and the Monterey Peninsula Regional Park District to complete the project.

Construction of the Canyon Del Rey Segment of the FORTAG project is being done in phases and different areas of the project will be affected at different times, according to TAMC. As the project moves forward, residents and businesses will be provided additional notifications in advance of bridge foundation work (pile driving) and work that restricts driveway access. Construction is expected to last through August 2026.

A portion of the FORTAG trail will run under Highway 218 linking Work Memorial and Del Rey parks with the Frog Pond Wetland Preserve, and will accommodate hikers, cyclists and pedestrians to move freely under the roadway through a 10.5-foot-high passageway.

The week of Feb. 24 will see the anticipated night work set to occur two nights for the placement of precast bridge slabs as part of the construction of the new Highway 218 bridge over the trail’s passageway.

Access to Work Memorial Park, the Butterfly Garden and tennis courts will be restricted during construction. The Frog Pond Wetland Preserve is closed for the remainder of stage one construction and is expected to reopen in June 2025.

FORTAG is proposed as an approximately 28-mile continuous 12-foot-wide paved bicycle and pedestrian trail with an open-space buffer on both sides. The Fort Ord Regional Trail and Greenway will connect to the existing Monterey Bay Sanctuary Scenic Trail and will provide connections to unpaved trails in the Fort Ord National Monument, says TAMC.

The northern loop of FORTAG encircles Marina, following a 13-mile route that includes three miles of the existing Coastal Rec Trail. The southern loop of FORTAG encircles Seaside and bisects Del Rey Oaks, following a 15-mile route that includes four miles of the existing coastal trail system. The route includes spurs connecting with existing and planned bike/pedestrian infrastructure. Several sections of the paved trail will link to nearby unpaved trails.

For information about the FORTAG project or to sign up for updates, visit https://www.tamcmonterey.org/fort-ord-regional-trail-greenway-canyon-del-rey, or email 79829@ publicinput.com.