The project will increase the width of the current sidewalk from five to 10 feet wide and will take approximately six weeks to complete.

City of San Diego engineers are in the design and permitting process for a project to widen the sidewalk at Ellen Browning Scripps Park in La Jolla, a project several years in the planning.

Mayor Todd Gloria proposed $750,000 for the project in 2024 as part of his Fiscal Year 2025 budget.

The project will remove 450 linear feet of an existing five-foot-wide concrete sidewalk along Coast Boulevard and the southeast border of the park and the installation of a new 10-foot-wide concrete sidewalk as a replacement.

The project scope includes minor grading as needed, installation of some turf and relocation of existing irrigation and will not remove any trees. The sidewalk will narrow slightly at the southeast corner of the park for the grove of trees and signage already there. 

The La Jolla Development Permit Review Committee unanimously approved the plans July 8, forwarding them on to the La Jolla Community Planning Association.

Construction is expected to begin in winter 2025, said city civil engineer Carlos Parra, with “four to six weeks of total impact, including the irrigation adjustments, demolition, grading, concrete pour and then the curing of some of the turf installation.”

During the work, which will be collaborative between San Diego’s Parks & Recreation and Transportation departments, the sidewalk will be closed off with signage and detours. 

“Noise is expected, especially during demolition,” Parra said, with some mitigation for the dust. 

There will be a temporary staging area for equipment and vehicles in the park and some parking spots.

An updated project cost is not yet available.

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