Broken pipe casing not expected to delay La Jolla utility project

A broken piece of pipe casing associated with utility work taking place on La Jolla Scenic Drive North is not expected to slow the project, according to San Diego Gas & Electric.

Area resident Isabelle Strahm Hall told the La Jolla Light that she recently saw "a large piece of broken pipe" that she was concerned would cause delays in the project, which is replacing a power cable. SDG&E says the work will improve the safety and reliability of the electric system in La Jolla and surrounding communities.

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"As part of the project, SDG&E has been working with a third-party contractor to replace the existing aging underground electric cable system that has been in operation for over 60 years," said SDG&E spokeswoman Candace Hadley. She added that it took one or two days to repair the damage and that she expects the project to continue uninterrupted.

"The damaged pipe … is the sacrificial/temporary casing for the actual carrier conduits that house the power cables," Hadley said. "The cause of damage is still under investigation at this time."

During the project, about three miles of buried cable will be replaced with an enhanced cable system — protected in a new concrete-encased duct infrastructure — from near Gilman Court to a conduit package tie-in near the La Jolla Scenic Drive South/Via Capri intersection on Mount Soledad. From the tie-in point, the cable system will be installed and occupy the vacant (spare) position in an existing conduit package for about 2½ miles to the termination point at Pearl Street/Eads Avenue.

Work is expected to be completed by July. ◆