Posted on November 20, 2024
The California Coastal Commission has greenlit a new seawall to be built along San Francisco’s coastline in a bid to protect the city’s infrastructure.
The 3,200-foot-long wall, which will cost $175 million and be one of the largest construction projects in California’s history, will seek to prevent damage to the shoreline from the impact of climate change, according to a report by Construction Briefing.
San Fransisco’s Public Utilities Commission put forward the proposal amid fears that extensive global warming could lead to rising sea levels and cliff erosion, which could damage parts of the city’s structure near the coast.
In particular, the Lake Merced Tunnel runs along the San Francisco coast, providing a vital part of the city’s drainage system.
The wall will be built along San Francisco’s Ocean Beach, and will require removal of rubble and temporary rock barriers from the beach. The shoreline will also be widened by over 20 meters, according to Construction Briefing.
Once the seawall is completed, it will require maintenance with sand replenishment, which is estimated will cost $1 million per application.
To make space for the project, city officials plan to permanently close part of the Great Highway, a road that runs almost four miles along Ocean Beach. Closures will reportedly also impact public trails and pedestrian access.
Newsweek contacted the California Coastal Commission for more information on the project.
The plans were opposed by the Surfrider Foundation, who argued that the wall’s construction would restrict public access to beaches and to the sea, while paving the way for more construction along the coastline.
Mandy Sackett, Surfrider’s California Policy Coordinator, told surfing and outdoors website The Inertia: “We’re pretty disappointed. I think the Coastal Commission was put in a really difficult position. But the fact is, every time a seawall is approved it increases the likelihood that more seawalls will be approved and the more we guarantee the loss of our beaches.”
Fears of climate change in California have been exacerbated by extreme weather. An atmospheric river of concentrated moisture from the Pacific is currently headed for the state’s coastline and is expected to bring flooding later this week.
San Francisco could see as much as 4 inches of rainfall in the coming days, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
On November 12, the National Weather Service (NWS) office for San Francisco warned beachgoers of waves measuring between 14 and 16 feet.
