An effort to replace decades-old light fixtures and yearslong darkness in one La Jolla neighborhood is almost complete.

Years after planning, La Jolla Shores has new streetlights, which some residents estimate have been dark for about seven years.

The lights were replaced by the city of San Diego over the last week of July as part of the near completion of the undergrounding project.

In the Shores, as many as 16 out of 43 aging streetlights had been out for some time. The lights were difficult to repair, as they were all connected in one decades-old circuit.

When one light went out, all those connected to the same transformer went dark, creating difficulty in diagnosis and necessitating short-term fixes like solar-powered temporary bulbs.  

Now, 15 streetlights are newly established, according to city spokesperson Tyler Becker, three years after the La Jolla Shores Association was approached to weigh in on their design and appearance.

In total, 37 streetlights (31 acorn decorative streetlights and 6 cobra streetlights) are to be installed with new circuits.

The contractor anticipates the remainder of the 37 streetlights will be completed by the end of September, Becker said.

“The goal is to have all of the streetlights energized around the completion of installation,” he said, “but that is dependent upon SDG&E’s availability, which will be coordinated closer to the end of September.”

San Diego City Council President Joe LaCava, whose District 1 includes La Jolla and whose office worked to get the lights turned on, declined to comment.