SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — SANDAG's Mid-Coast Trolley project is reaching a major milestone. Workers celebrated a special luncheon Thursday morning, a day before the last batch of concrete is scheduled to be poured into the UTC Transit center's parking lot.
"We're here today to celebrate every single person that has contributed to this parking structure," McCarthy Construction project manager, Marielisa Hecht, said.
Workers enjoyed a luncheon and raffle prizes as they made the final touches to the 155,000 square foot, 470 spot parking structure at the UTC Transit Center.
"As an undergrad in the late 90s, this was a dream," National City mayor and second vice chair of the SANDAG board Alejandra Sotelo-Solis said.
Sotelo-Solis said had the Mid-Coast Trolley existed when she was a student at UCSD, it would have made life so much easier. She is excited that in a few months, future students and riders will have the opportunity to use the trolley and the parking structure as a transportation hub.
"So many of our communities of color, [and] working-class families can come up to a University, and educational facility, to say, 'I belong here,' as well as folks heading all the way down south and making that connection for the resources and amenities that we have," Sotelo-Solis said.
Friday morning, workers will pour the final batch of concrete on the top level of the structure.
"We've had hundreds of people walk through these gates, and here we are," Hecht said. "It puts us that much closer."
SANDAG's goal is to open both the parking structure and trolley station by mid-November.
"As we start opening up more post-COVID-19, this really provides an anchor on either side to show that transportation options are here," Sotelo-Solis said.
