This complex transit project will extend trolley service from the Santa Fe Depot in San Diego, to important downtown destinations including University City, Old Town, the University of California – San Diego, and Westfield UTC. While upgrading this trolley line, additions and upgrades will also be made to the heavy rail double track system from Elvira to Morena.
Malcolm performed deep foundation work for a total of 15 railroad bridges, six of them for the new light rail trolley service and nine of them for the additional heavy rail track. The work extended along a seven mile stretch from the San Diego River Bridge, near SeaWorld, thru Rose Creek Canyon North to the 52 Freeway. At times, Malcolm had up to four separate crews working on this project. Deep foundation elements for this work consisted of drilled shafts ranging from 24-inch cased piles to 11-foot diameter permanently cased piles that were up to 160 feet deep and installed by an oscillator. Polymer drilling was also employed on this project. In total, over 120 drilled shafts were installed by Malcolm crews.
This project was designed to provide an effective alternative to congested freeways and roadways, particularly during peak-period commute hours. It is expected that the new trolley service will attract 20,000 new transit riders per day.
