El Cajon city crews Tuesday began a $2.8 million restoration project of Broadway Creek intended to repair the creek’s existing erosion and prevent future flood and erosion conditions.
Construction of the project will require the closure of Ballantyne Street between Hart Drive and Broadway for about two months. The closure will allow crews to widen the bridge and make needed street improvements. Through traffic will be detoured to Graves Avenue to the west.
The project received grant funding from the California Department of Water Resources and the San Diego River Conservancy in partnership with the San Diego River Park Foundation.
According to the city, Broadway Creek is in poor condition due to “heavy erosion, overgrowth, invasive plants that increase the risk of flooding, poor water quality, degraded habitat, trash and other pollution.”
The restoration is intended to help reduce flooding and pollution and improve the habitat for local plants and animals along the creek.
Broadway Creek flows east to west along Broadway before turning north near Ballantyne Street and flowing into Forester Creek near Gillespie Field, into the San Diego River and eventually making its way to the ocean. Some of it is concrete-lined, and some has a natural bottom.
City News Service contributed to this article.
