The stairways at Cherry and Hemlock avenues reopened this month, rebuilt to a design that calls for corrosion-resistant precast concrete and handrails with downward-facing lights. A few blocks away, the stairways at Maple and Sycamore avenues are closed for replacement. Farther south, State Parks has fenced off the Tamarack State Beach lot, so you can't drive or walk into it. And past the Las Encinas Creek bridge, a crane has been lowering two- to six-ton boulders onto the beach below Carlsbad Boulevard.
On one stretch of coast you'll find four separate projects, and each runs on its own clock. Some of those clocks have end dates and some don't. Which kind you get depends mostly on who owns the piece of coast in question.
Two owners on seven miles of coast
In an October 16 beach update, the City of Carlsbad laid out the split. California State Parks owns and manages six of Carlsbad's seven miles of coastline, including Tamarack State Beach and its parking lot. The city controls about one mile of beach, from just north of Oak Avenue to the Oceanside border, plus a short section of Terramar between Cerezo Drive and Cannon Road.
The city also said plainly what that means for repairs:
"Because Tamarack is a state beach and property, the city simply does not have the authority to take the lead or start making repairs."
That one fact explains most of what's going on this fall. The city posts schedules, work hours and completion targets for its projects, while the two State Parks closures are waiting on evaluations and repairs.
The city's stairs are on a calendar
The beach stairs replacement and sidewalk widening project covers the four stairways on Carlsbad Boulevard between Hemlock and Pine avenues. It also widens the sidewalk between Cherry and Pine. The old stairs and sidewalk date to the 1980s. The city's project page describes chipped concrete with rebar showing, visible corrosion, and soil worn away from some of the foundations. The replacements use high-strength beams and corrosion-resistant precast concrete, and they're expected to last about 50 years.
Here's the schedule as published:
- Work windows: November 2025 to spring 2026, then fall 2026 to spring 2027
- Summer pause: no construction between Memorial Day and Labor Day
- Hours: Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., except federal holidays
- Finish: on track for summer 2027, according to the City Manager's October 22 update
The project hit its first milestone the week of October 19, when the Cherry and Hemlock stairways reopened. Crews then moved straight to Maple and Sycamore, which are now closed. The city has said all along that one or two stairways would be closed at a time, so Cherry and Hemlock had to open before the next pair could close.
The finished stairs keep the same locations and landing layout. At the base of Maple, Sycamore and Hemlock, short retaining walls, each no longer than 20 feet, replace the sandbags that currently keep bluff soil off the stairs. The sidewalk between Pine and Cherry gains 2½ feet. One foot comes from removing the surface-mounted railing and metal guardrail. The other foot and a half comes from extending the sidewalk west, which is possible because much of it is cantilevered over the bluff. The overlooks at Walnut and Acacia will be rebuilt at the same size and location, with new railings.
While the work continues, Carlsbad Boulevard is down to one lane in each direction between Oak and Pine and through the Chestnut intersection. The speed limit in the work zone is 20 mph. Bikes are detoured onto Garfield Street from Oak to Chestnut. When parts of the west-side sidewalk close, the city sends walkers to the lower seawall or the east-side sidewalk. Some street parking is restricted, though the city hasn't said how many spaces.
The state's lots are waiting on repairs
Tamarack works differently. Cars haven't been able to get into the Tamarack State Beach lot since early September. The weekend before October 16, State Parks staff fenced off the lot and the surrounding property, and the city's update says it is "now closed to pedestrians."
In a statement quoted by the San Diego Union-Tribune on September 4, State Parks said "the loss of sand, combined with tides and wave action, has caused the riprap to slough westward onto the beach." The same story reported that there was then "no estimated timeline for reopening." Fox 5 reported on October 12 that high surf from Tropical Storm Rachel made the damage worse that weekend, and that the lot was taped off with "Do Not Enter" signs. State Parks has since hired a coastal engineer to plan repairs and hopes to finish the work by the end of December. That is a target for finishing repairs, and the city's update does not give a date for the lot to reopen.
North Ponto is a similar story. According to the city's October 22 update, State Parks temporarily closed the restroom and part of the North Ponto parking lot at South Carlsbad State Beach because of damage from Tropical Storm Rachel. The closed area sits just north of Carlsbad State Campground, and it stays closed until the lot and bluff have been evaluated. Carlsbad Current reported on October 23 that no reopening date has been set. The reported closure covers only the restroom and part of the lot, not the campground. State Parks suggests visiting around low tide, when more sand is exposed between the cliffs and the waves.
The State Parks page for Carlsbad State Beach lists the park as "Open with restrictions in services and/or facilities." Its restrictions field is blank, so the page won't tell you which lots or ramps you can use on a given morning.
Where the two sets of information conflict
The two owners' updates don't match. In its Q&A on access during construction, the city's stairs project page still says the "ramps at Pine and Tamarack and stairways at Hemlock and Cherry, will remain open." But the city's own October 16 update says State Parks fenced off the Tamarack lot and property. Until one of the agencies posts something newer, the fencing and signs at Tamarack are the best guide. Pine, Cherry and Hemlock are your three confirmed alternatives to Maple and Sycamore.
Here's where each access point stood as of the city's October 22 update and Carlsbad Current's October 23 report:
| Access point | Status | Run by | End date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cherry Avenue stairs | Reopened, rebuilt | City | Done |
| Hemlock Avenue stairs | Reopened, rebuilt | City | Done |
| Maple Avenue stairs | Closed for replacement | City | Project finishes summer 2027 |
| Sycamore Avenue stairs | Closed for replacement | City | Project finishes summer 2027 |
| Pine Avenue ramp | Listed open by the city | City | Not affected |
| Tamarack lot and property | Fenced, closed to cars and pedestrians | State Parks | Repairs targeted by end of December |
| North Ponto restroom and part of lot | Closed pending evaluation | State Parks | None set |
| Southbound bike lane, Solamar Dr. to Island Way | Closed during revetment work | City | Through late 2026 |
The south end has its own deadline
The bike lane closure in the table's last row comes from a fourth project, and it runs on a faster clock than the other three. The city declared a local emergency on September 9 to speed up work on the bluff along south Carlsbad Boulevard, north of the Las Encinas Creek bridge, after a geotechnical report recommended emergency stabilization. Boulder deliveries started in early October. The city's October 9 update says the southbound bike lane between Solamar Drive and Island Way is closed while crews work, and that revetment construction should continue through late 2026. If you ride that stretch southbound, plan on sharing the road with traffic for the rest of the year.
Two more city plans are in the works near Tamarack, but neither will change much this winter. A separate project to improve ADA beach access near Pine and Tamarack is still in design and could begin construction in a few years. At the Carlsbad Boulevard and Tamarack Avenue intersection, the city has dropped the roundabout idea in favor of smaller safety upgrades: high-visibility crossings, ADA ramps, pedestrian signals and more room to walk. Funding and schedule for those upgrades aren't final.
Planning a walk around it
With Maple and Sycamore closed, the reopened Cherry and Hemlock stairs and the Pine ramp are the confirmed ways down to the sand along the stairs project. On weekdays from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., expect crews on the west side and an occasional sidewalk closure. On those days, use the lower seawall or cross to the east side.
You can still get coffee before or after. The Carlsbad Village Association's dining directory lists Kona Craft Cafe at 3001 Carlsbad Blvd. and Better Buzz Coffee at 3016. Fresco Cocina at 2858, Harbor Fish Café at 3179 and Dini's Bistro at 3290 are also on the Boulevard.
The city's milestones are the easy ones to follow, since its project page and the City Manager's weekly update post each change as it happens. The two State Parks closures are harder to track. The city has promised to pass along what it hears from the state about North Ponto and the Tamarack lot, and its weekly update is the most consistent place to find that news.
If you plan to list a home near the Boulevard this winter, the lane closures, detours and construction hours will affect showing times and how buyers reach the house. Karen Morton Homes can help you schedule showings and plan your launch around the construction calendar. Request a complimentary market & staging consultation.
