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Monument Road realignment and Monument Mesa improvements at Border Field State Park planned to restore access; EIR expected this year
Summary
State Parks updated the subcommittee on the Monument Road Realignment Project and Monument Mesa day‑use improvements at Border Field State Park, saying an environmental impact report (EIR) is expected by the end of the year and construction could begin in 2027, subject to permitting and cross‑border sewage flow conditions.
California State Parks presented an update on the Monument Road Realignment Project and Monument Mesa day-use and interpretive improvements for Border Field State Park, a 760‑acre park at the U.S.–Mexico border and part of the Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve.
Park staff said chronic flooding and cross‑border sewage flows have long limited public access to the park. After years of environmental studies, engineering and coordination with permitting agencies, Parks reported it has a plan that balances environmental protections with the need to restore public access. The department said it expects to complete the environmental impact report (EIR) by the end of the calendar year and anticipates construction of the Monument Road realignment to begin in 2027, with Monument Mesa day‑use improvements starting in 2028 and concluding approximately one year after construction begins.
The proposed road realignment will move sections of the access route outside of most of the most flood‑prone salt marsh area to reduce chronic closures; the abandoned road segment would be decommissioned and restored as habitat once the new alignment is opened. Park officials emphasized that permitting took significant time due to sensitive habitat and cross‑border water‑quality issues and that extensive coordination with state and federal permitting agencies contributed to the schedule.
The subcommittee asked for clarity on timelines and expressed an expectation that the EIR be published this calendar year and that construction begin in 2027. Park staff said they had corrected a minor date error in the presentation and confirmed the 2027 start target for construction, while cautioning that contractor mobilization and cross‑border water‑quality conditions could affect the schedule.
No votes were taken. Park staff said they will hold public meetings and the first public meeting on the environmental review is scheduled for April 17.
