California Approves 10-Year Coastal Protection Permit for San Clemente Coastal Railway

en.Wedoany.com Reported - On November 5, the California Coastal Commission unanimously approved the San Clemente coastal railway protection project, granting a 10-year coastal development permit to the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) and the Southern California Regional Rail Authority (SCRRA) for the related project. The project includes placing approximately 690,000 cubic yards (about 527,000 cubic meters) of beach sand replenishment along the railway, constructing a 1,223-foot (about 373-meter) long seawall, repairing existing riprap revetment, and maintaining slope anchor systems, in order to reduce the impacts of coastal erosion, wave action, and slope instability on railway operations.

The project is located in San Clemente, Orange County, California, and involves a section of the Los Angeles–San Diego–San Luis Obispo (LOSSAN) rail corridor. The line is owned by OCTA, with SCRRA participating in project implementation and responsible for related railway operations and maintenance. Since 2021, beach erosion, coastal slope slippage, and railway subgrade damage have occurred repeatedly along the corridor, causing multiple suspensions of passenger and freight services, with some closures lasting weeks or even months.

The permit covers four priority protection areas. The project will retain the existing riprap revetment on the ocean side of the railway and add approximately 2,100 tons of riprap at two short segments. An engineered seawall approximately 373 meters long will also be constructed along the outer side of the railway, located between mileposts 206.42 and 206.65. Approximately 220 anchors within about 700 feet of the inland-side slope will also be retained to maintain the existing slope reinforcement system.

Beach sand replenishment is a key component of the project, with approximately 690,000 cubic yards of sand planned for a one-time placement in two areas. Of this, approximately 240,000 cubic yards will be placed north of the San Clemente Pier, and approximately 450,000 cubic yards in the southern part of the city near San Clemente State Beach and Cyprus Shore. Sand will be sourced from offshore borrow areas and the Prado Dam sediment storage site, transported to the construction area by barge, sand pipeline, and truck, and then spread and graded using construction equipment. Under the current construction preparation schedule, large-scale sand replenishment is expected to begin as early as early 2027.

The project also includes maintenance of the existing revetment and railway subgrade protection. The existing riprap revetment is located near mileposts 203.80 to 207.40. The project will repair protection structures affected by wave action and beach erosion, and control the scope of future riprap maintenance in accordance with permit conditions. These measures, together with the seawall, sand replenishment, and slope anchor systems, will form a coastal railway protection system to reduce the impacts of direct wave scouring of the subgrade and slope instability on the track structure.

The permit term is 10 years, with a review checkpoint at year 5. While approving the project, the California Coastal Commission required that the project balance public beach access and coastal resource protection. The conditions also address maintenance of existing protection facilities, removal of unnecessary riprap, and long-term adaptability studies along the railway. The feasibility of relocating the railway has also been included in long-term research directions, reflecting that beyond coastal protection works, the future alignment of the railway still requires further evaluation.

OCTA has secured approximately $305 million in state and federal funding for priority protection projects, of which approximately $100 million is for sand replenishment and public access improvements. The funding covers protection work in four priority areas in San Clemente, including both the works covered by this permit and previously completed catchment wall construction and beach trail repairs. OCTA stated that it will continue to coordinate with state, local, and federal agencies to advance project implementation and adjust subsequent construction, maintenance, and funding arrangements in accordance with the Coastal Commission's modified permit conditions.