A beach city in San Diego County declared a local emergency over unstable coastal bluff amid erosion concerns due to upcoming super El Niño conditions.

Carlsbad officials said the declaration would allow officials to speed up the stabilization work for a portion of the coastal bluff along south Carlsbad Boulevard north of the bridge at Las Encinas Creek.

Officials said it comes after the the city received a geotechnical report on Sept. 8, which included a recommendation to extend the existing rock revetment approximately 192ft to the north, for bluff and shoreline protection.

“As we’ve seen throughout this year, the city takes a proactive approach to monitoring and maintaining our infrastructure, particularly ahead of storm seasons, so we can identify potential issues and address them before they become problems,” Geoff Patnoe, Carlsbad City Manager, said in a statement.

City officials said that shoreline emergency repairs along Carlsbad Boulevard could begin as early as the week of Sept. 14, pending permit approval from the California Coastal Commission. Crews plan to place 4-8 ton boulders to extend the existing revetment approximately 192 feet to the north.

The emergency project will expand the massive shoreline defense system that already spans 1,270 feet along the base of the coastal bluff.

Designed to shield Carlsbad Boulevard from relentless erosion, the existing rock barrier was constructed in phases, with 750 feet installed in 2009 and an additional 520 feet added between 2015 and 2016.

“We understand this is a heavily traveled roadway, and maintaining its integrity is essential to protecting public safety, as well as property and our coastal environment,” City Manager Patnoe added.

The upcoming construction is expected to cause intermittent southbound lane closures and traffic delays on Carlsbad Boulevard between Palomar Airport Road and Island Way. City officials say they are actively monitoring site conditions and will release a finalized work schedule once permitting is complete.

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