After years of planning and one very expensive round of bids, crews have started tearing into University Avenue for a 2.8-mile bikeway that city and regional officials say will reshape how people move through Mid-City. The multi-million-dollar project will overhaul the busy corridor between Estrella Avenue and 69th Street, plus a short stretch of Estrella between University and Orange avenues, with work expected to unfold over the next two years in City Heights and neighboring communities.
SANDAG's plan and scope
According to SANDAG, the University Bikeway is part of the North Park | Mid-City Bikeways program and is designed to install separated bikeways, buffered bike lanes, high-visibility pavement markings, bus islands and protected intersections along the corridor. The route will run on University Avenue between Estrella Avenue and 69th Street and on Estrella Avenue between University and Orange. SANDAG will manage construction, while the City of San Diego will own and operate the finished facility. The agency’s project page notes that a contractor has been selected and that construction is expected to roll out across multiple segments in 2026.
What riders and transit users will see
The upgrade is set to bring bus boarding platforms to 14 intersections and a combination of Class IV protected bikeways and buffered bike lanes, according to NBC San Diego. “This project features protected intersections, which really help people who want to bike to use this roadway,” Omar Atayee, a principal engineer at SANDAG, told NBC San Diego.
Price tag and funding
According to the Regional Transportation Improvement Program amendment from SANDAG, the University Bikeway’s total program cost is listed at roughly $44.579 million. The money comes from a mix of TransNet, state active-transportation grants and federal and local sources. The amendment also shows a recent upward revision to the budget, reflecting higher construction costs and additional local funding intended to keep the schedule on track.
Why it stalled, and why it matters
Planned construction previously hit a wall when a round of contractor bids in late 2024 came in higher than SANDAG expected, which forced a re-bid and some design tweaks, KPBS reported. Advocates pointed to hundreds of collisions along this stretch over the past decade to argue for faster action, saying that protected bike lanes could reduce serious crashes for people walking and biking.
Short-term impacts for riders and businesses
Metropolitan Transit System posts service alerts and temporary stop closures for University Avenue, so bus riders are being told to keep an eye on real-time notices for reroutes and alternative boarding locations. The City of San Diego says work will move block by block, with periodic lane reductions and night operations used where necessary to reduce daytime disruption for businesses and nearby schools.
What to watch next
Crews are expected to move eastward in phases, with SANDAG and city partners aiming to finish the project by the end of 2027, including occasional weekend or night work to help speed construction. Residents, business owners and riders should expect shifting traffic patterns and changing boarding locations as the corridor is rebuilt, and can follow agency service advisories for the latest updates.
