The Genesee Avenue Interchange Project will begin construction fall 2013, following a California Transportation Committee vote approving $8 million in preliminary project funding.

The $94 million plan was initially proposed by Caltrans as part of the San Diego Association of Government’s 2030 Regional Transportation Plan in 2007, a fully funded collaboration between Caltrans, SANDAG, the city of San Diego and local businesses. 

According to Caltrans I-5/SR 76 Corridor Director Allan Kosup, the project — a component of the larger North Coast Corridor Program — will reduce congestion along La Jolla’s Genesee Avenue with the replacement of I-5 highway overcrossing, the addition of auxiliary lanes and the widening of I-5 access ramps.

“Several years of planning and collaborating with the community has resulted in this exciting project that will improve mobility and provide better access for travelers in the [University City] area,” Kosup said in an email to the Guardian. “We look forward to breaking ground on the project this fall.”

The proposal also includes plans for the addition of three miles of bicycle paths from Roselle Street to Voigt Drive, providing links to UCSD, hospitals and employment centers.

“Prior to and upon the start of construction, SANDAG and Caltrans will be coordinating with UCSD to reduce construction impacts and encourage carpooling, biking to campus and other methods of transportation,” Kosup said.

The Genesee Avenue Interchange Project is slated for completion in spring 2016. In addition, the $6.5 billion North Coast Corridor Program will begin several other projects over the next 40 years, including an expansion of the SuperLoop Rapid Bus Route and the extension of the San Diego Trolley to service UCSD and University City.