FORTAG completion could be delayed

DEL REY OAKS

Construction of retaining wall in Frog Pond Wetland Preserve was to begin this week

By James Herrera

DEL REY OAKS >> A possible delay to the completion of the Canyon Del Rey segment of the Fort Ord Regional Trail and Greenway project through Del Rey Oaks was announced by the Transportation Agency for Monterey County last week.

The project is in close proximity to an existing Pacific Gas and Electric Company electrical transmission pole, according to the Transportation Agency, and work cannot proceed until the utility company provides direction on how to protect the existing pole in place while the project continues construction. The project is striving to meet an Oct. 15 deadline from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife for work in the Frog Pond Wetlands Preserve.

Construction of retaining walls in the Frog Pond was to begin this week. The Frog Pond Wetland Preserve is closed during stage one construction and was expected to reopen in October.

The conflict could potentially extend the project’s completion date from fall 2026 to spring or summer 2027. The TAMC project team is working to resolve the conflict and to keep the project on schedule.

“PG&E was provided the project plans during the design phase and in December 2022, PG&E provided approval of the project in relation to their facilities,” said TAMC spokesperson Theresa Wright in an email. “We did not receive any comments from PG&E regarding the existing transmission pole in relation to the new retaining wall.”In April 2025, prior to beginning construction of the retaining wall, TAMC contacted PG&E to confirm the means and methods of construction given the proximity of the new retaining wall to the existing transmission pole, according to Wright. TAMC has been reaching out to PG&E on numerous occasions since that time.

“To date, PG&E has not provided their specific requirements needed for us to be able to safely move forward to construct the wall near their transmission pole,” explained Wright.

But the utility company has a different perspective.

“PG&E has been in regular communication with the Monterey Transportation Agency on the new utility pole being installed on the (Fort Ord Regional Trail and Greenway),” said PG&E spokesperson Jeff Smith in an email. “We are committed to completing the project in a safe manner. We are committed to work with all interested parties to identify solutions that will move the project forward in a timely manner.”

The retaining wall in question is located in the Frog Pond Wetland Preserve. Construction in this area is regulated by permits from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and the State Water Resources Control Board.

“These permits have designated time periods of when certain construction activities are allowed to take place,” said Wright. “Work under the CDFW permit is currently permitted between April 15 and Oct. 15 annually. Therefore, if construction of the retaining wall and other related improvements are not completed by Oct. 15, 2025, this work will be pushed to the April 15, 2026 — Oct. 15, 2026 work window and subsequent work will be delayed as well pushing the project completion date to spring or summer of 2027.”

But the delay could not only impact the completion date, but it also has the potential to increase costs.

“The project is funded through Measure X and an Active Transportation Program grant,” said Wright. “We have already expended a majority of the grant funding and anticipate expending the remaining grant funds well ahead of the grant funding expiration date. However, there is the potential for additional costs due to the delay. We are gathering information relating to what those potential costs might be.”

The potential delay is not anticipated to have an impact on the reopening of Carlton Drive at Highway 218 (Canyon Del Rey), said TAMC.

Carlton Drive is currently closed between Highway 218 and Work Avenue through mid-October, but emergency vehicles and residents of the south end of Carlton Drive still have access to their residences via Quendale Avenue or Highland Street.

The 1.5-mile Canyon Del Rey segment runs from the intersection of North Fremont and Canyon Del Rey boulevards in Del Rey Oaks 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 the 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 in Seaside.

The newly-built bridge on Highway 218 — Canyon Del Rey Boulevard — will enable hikers, cyclists and pedestrians to move freely under the highway through a 10.5-foot-high passageway connecting the parks to the preserve.

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. As the project moves forward, residents and businesses will be provided additional notifications in advance of work that restricts driveway access. Construction is expected to last through August 2026 but could be delayed due to the PG&E conflict.

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.