. Trolley’sd next stop: SDSU and beyond R Research and graphic by DAVID HARDMAN / San Diego Union-Tribune . n d 5 miles o Grantville SDSU Alvarado Hospital 70th Street R Grossmont si Jackson Dr. The missing link Completing a missing link in the San Diego Trolley system, the 5.8-mile Friars Rd. is e Station Transit Center Medical Center Station Station Center M g SANTEE The Mission Valley extension r o Station Mission Valley East extension will carry an estimated 10,800 riders daily o GRANTVILLE Lake . h d connects the Blue Line to the G . 5 15 c lv Mission e n B when it goes into service in early 2005. Qualcomm 15 n WaringA dRd. v Murray y Grossmont BLUE Orange Line near Baltimore a io obe Rd. DEL A rra Detail area San Diego Ave. Fairmount s F s u Stadium R s all e M Center Dr. LINE i Alvarado CERRO g ake EL Drive in La Mesa. The Blue Station M lle L B Station o a E CAJON Line currently stretches . Canyon Rd. C lt N Envisioned more than 25 years ago, the Metropolitan Transit Development E LINE io N im LI BLU Camino del R Y EAST N o E SAN LA from San Ysidro in the ING LE EXTENSIO re FletcherG Pkwy. Board’s extension of the trolley’s Blue Line will connect Mission Valley and ST AL D N DIEGO MESA XI MI N V r South Bay through Chula E 8 SSIO Alvarado Rd. A East County along the Interstate 8 corridor. The extension adds four stops: SDSU OR F ORANGE Vista and National City to a NG i R I LINE Grantville, San Diego State University, Alvarado Hospital Medical Center and rm T downtown San Diego, Old e IS NATIONAL o ALVARADO Alvarado Hospital s X NORMAL u e E 8 Town and Mission Valley. 70th Street. It will intersect the Orange Line in La Mesa. n CITY ESTATES r KENSINGTON t Medical Center v Comanche Guava The Orange Line runs from HEIGHTS A o i Ave. v r r Dr. e Santee through El Cajon to um Area detail below D CHULA . tez a The construction budget, a combination of federal, state and local funds, is on Rd. r M . VISTA La Mesa, Lemon Grove, expected to be at least $451 million. A $20 million increase over the projected COLLEGE ajon Blvd. 70th St. La Mesa Blvd. eastern San Diego and then 1/2 mile El C budget was announced last week along with plans to get lagging portions of AREA into downtown San Diego. LA MESA IMPERIAL SAN La Mesa Blvd. BEACH YSIDRO the project back on schedule. Engineers estimate the cost could rise an Station additional $5.6 million before construction is finished in January 2004. Track, TIJUANA electrical, signaling and other post-construction work will follow. University Ave. Grantville Road extension SDSU 8 eastbound Ramp improvements Alvarado Hospital Ab Canyon Station Transit Center ov Crest Dr. Medical Center Station I-8 eastbound Alvarado Canyon Road is being e The outdated design of the g ztec Cir extended to meet Adobe Falls Road so r A cle Interstate 8/70th Street o D r. that Allied Gardens traffic can reach • The station provides easy access to u e • With the station just a few steps n v . interchange prompted CalTrans and d A d e the Grantville Station more easily. A the heart of the campus, including Cox R t from Alvarado Hospital and the r e u MTDB engineers to come up with a o g o o u two-lane traffic bridge, with sidewalks, Arena, Aztec Center and Open Air e d r surrounding medical complex, the t l more efficient method of moving e l a d r is being built over Waring Road. On the Theater. West o n a traffic through this busy area. hospital will join the ranks of Kaiser C u v portal SAN DIEGO l o south side of I-8, the r Permanente in Los Angeles, the Naval A . entrance STATE g • Present on/off ramps Waring interchange will d T e Medical Center in Washington D.C. and R 240-space Column Station features u v be reconfigured. g n UNIVERSITY o Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore as n n b park and i The main entrance to the station will e r A Mission l medical centers with direct access to ride lot a Adobe Off-ramp be on the North side of Aztec Walk. parking r Alvarado Rd. Gorge Pl. W Falls Rd. o parking transit. u Malcom Bus bays The Aztec Green will be re-graded with structure t Blvd. Alvarado e structure Lake Murray Stairs Elevator Alvarado terraces and a series of retaining walls A. Love Creek culvert Canyon Rd. to create a plaza at the mezzanine Library 8 Station features 8 Student Storm drain level of the underground station. This . Open Air East t mp The Alvarado Hospital Medical Center Station services S a From Alvarado Hospital Medical Center Redesigned -r concept allows natural light and Theater portal h n features a garden design with vines on trellises Trolley route Waring Rd. Music t O to 70th Street, the trolley tracks will be This station Alvarado Canyon Rd. ventilation through the North wall of entrance 0 Alvarado Rd. planted along the 360-foot freeway retaining wall. Aztec 7 built atop Alvarado Creek by replacing serves the on/off the underground station. Cox Softball Adams Transparent canopies will provide rain protection, ramp Center the channel with a concrete structure Grantville and Allied Arena fields Humanities and louvers will offer sun protection. The station that will carry storm water. The box Gardens neighborhoods. The trolley platforms will be located Aztec Walk design also features a 12-line riddle, provided as a culvert has been designed to carry the • Station platforms will be I-8 westbound Raised support 25 feet below the mezzanine with Raised route • Redesigned on/off ramps fun activity for waiting riders. The riddle will be volume of water that might be seen elevated 40 feet above a 240- Some parts of the track stairs and elevators moving riders Hardy Ave. Trolley printed rhythmically on three bands of concrete After the trolley line crosses station The trolley will run from a 100-year storm. space parking lot. will be elevated so the from level to level, and escalators (detail under 70th St. bridge tiles along the upper part of the retaining wall, KPBS Dr. • High-capacity elevators, as well trolley can run above Interstate 8, it will run parallel to the between the platforms and below) and on/off ramps which will have a rustic stone appearance. as stairs, will provide access Track platform surface streets and cross eastbound lanes of the freeway until mezzanine. The underground station’s Campanile over Interstate 8. To it beings to climb toward the center of aesthetic elements include hanging between ground level and the College Ave. trolley platform. accomplish this, SDSU. With limited space between sculptures made of thin, stainless Off-ramp 70th Street 53 columns, or I-8 and the hillside, a platform for the steel cable wires resembling tree Blvd. Station bents, are track will be cut into the slope, Tunnel T Lake Murray Station features roots extending from the ceiling of the r supported by a retaining wall. A tunnel ol The design of the Grantville station being underground station. The station le 8 • The station includes a 130-space parking lot constructed. platforms will be paved with bricks runs through it y includes a slightly curved platform, . ro located south of the platform. Original The trolley tunnel t u as well as slightly curved canopies The trolley needs laid in a pattern that suggests a S te • The station will serve western La Mesa and h 34of those of those columns columns to to slope curve stream flowing around irregularly at SDSU is 3/4- t above the platform providing 0 Alvarado Rd. eastern College Area. Lake Murray is a short jaunt mile long and 7 shelter. The shapes of the platform carry it from the Mission shaped stone pavers. up Lake Murray Boulevard. and canopy shelter line are inspired Column San Diego station to Aztec varies in depth by boat and airplane architecture Grantville and then Center from about 40 above Interstate 8, from I-8 eastbound feet below Station features as a tribute to the aviation and Stairs The new design eliminates two off- nautical industries in San Diego. 6 ft. north to south. ground level to The station’s design and materials echo an 60 feet below. ramps that fed onto crowded 70th Street. A new two-lane ramp will environmental theme with recycled plastic and During the day, sunlight will project Aztec carry traffic from eastbound I-8 to a cobbles from Alvarado Creek to be used for the shadow of the curved platform Ground level Green three-lane intersection with Alvarado benches, and with recycled glass Alvarado Rd. canopy onto the platform, Ramp Road. The intersection will be aggregate to be used in the Retaining platforms. Drought- illuminating art text inscribed on Bus stop controlled by a traffic signal and at the canopy. At night, various light wall detail Mezzanine that point Alvarado will be seven tolerant native sources will wash the station in level lanes. plants and I-8 eastbound hues of red, white and blue light. Piles are being Tracks educational drilled between Elevators A bridge will be constructed on 70th plaques to 59 ft.