SANDAG reached a construction milestone last week as crews building the Mid-Coast Trolley set twelve 140-foot-long concrete girders to form the flyover structure for the Blue Line extension in Rose Canyon.
The flyover structure will carry trolleys over the existing Amtrak and Coaster tracks and across Interstate 5 just south of Nobel Drive.
SANDAG released a time-lapse video showing crews hoisting the 81-ton girders using a crane and setting them on columns along the canyon. The girders were cast in Riverside County and transported on special industrial trucks built to withstand extra-heavy loads.
The girder work was conducted last weekend while all rail travel was postponed.
The Mid-Coast Trolley project will extend Blue Line service from Old Town north to University City, serving Mission Bay Park, the VA Medical Center, UC San Diego and University Town Center. Nine new stations will be constructed.
Major construction work began in 2016, with service anticipated to begin in late 2021.
