Hillside Drive in La Jolla is reopened to traffic after long-awaited regrade

Hillside Drive in La Jolla has reopened to traffic at Torrey Pines Road as a long-awaited project to regrade the street winds down.

Crews completed asphalt overlay work July 26 and reopened the street to vehicles and pedestrians the next day, according to San Diego city spokesman Tyler Becker.

Crews will return in coming weeks to stripe the intersection and replace 15 feet of sidewalk on Torrey Pines Road, Becker said.

Hillside Drive at Torrey Pines was closed in April to regrade the intersection to keep large trucks from becoming stuck in the dip before the steep slope on Hillside, causing traffic snarls. During the project, traffic from Torrey Pines to Hillside was diverted one block west onto Amalfi Street.

Previous efforts to keep trucks from getting stuck led to flashing signs placed every few feet in all directions leading to the intersection to warn truck drivers of the risk.

The regrading project was initially planned to begin in March 2022 but had multiple delays.

“We’re excited about the repairs,” said San Diego City Councilman Joe LaCava, whose District 1 includes La Jolla. “I appreciate city staff accelerating the completion [to] get it open, especially during the busy summer months.” ◆