DEL REY OAKS >> Construction on the Canyon Del Rey Segment of the Fort Ord Regional Trail and Greenway project, including pile driving this week, continues on Highway 218 moving the project forward to its projected completion in summer 2026.

The Canyon Del Rey Segment is part of the overall FORTAG alignment and runs from North Fremont and Canyon Del Rey boulevards through Work Memorial Park and Del Rey Park, under Highway 218 into the corner of the Frog Pond, back up to Highway 218 at Carlton Drive, then to Plumas Avenue where it will end at Del Rey Woods Elementary School.

Excavation for the bridge abutment footing and pile driving is happening this week with pile driving expected to occur on Wednesday and Thursday.

Pile driving is a construction method used to embed vertical columns by driving them into soil with heaving machinery.

Work will also include continuing to place soil for work to construct an embankment between Safeway and the tennis courts, continued excavation and preparation for concrete work in Del Rey Park, and the preparation of construction areas for the minimization and avoidance of any damage or negative effects of winter storms or wet weather conditions.

The FORTAG path will go under Canyon Del Rey Boulevard — Highway 218 — with a new roadway bridge constructed to carry vehicles using the highway. Hikers, pedestrians and bicycles will travel under the bridge through a 10.5-foot-high passageway.

Access to Work Memorial Park, the Butterfly Garden and tennis courts is restricted during construction. Parking adjacent to the Frog Pond may be restricted but other access restrictions are not foreseen in the next 3 weeks.

Work hours for the Canyon Del Rey Segment of the FORTAG project are 7 a.m. — 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. When needed, night work hours are 9 p.m. — 6 a.m., Sunday through Thursday unless authorized for specific operations with advance notice. Night work will occur along Highway 218, but no night work is currently anticipated to occur during the next 3 weeks.

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 Fort Ord Regional Trail and Greenway 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 and work that restricts driveway access.

The Canyon Del Rey Segment of the Fort Ord Regional Trail and Greenway project is part of the larger effort to connect communities in and around the former Fort Ord to each other and to educational institutions, employment, community and open space.

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. FORTAG 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 3 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 4 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.