San Diego Park Funds to Finance Freeway Exit Ramp

$1.7 million in funds allocated to park improvements will be used to repair a low-volume San Diego freeway exit ramp damaged in winter storms, reports Andrew Bowen for KPBS.

“But despite the exit's relatively low use, city staff argued it is a critical route for motorists to get from downtown and the South Bay to Bankers Hill, Hillcrest and Balboa Park's west mesa. They also said ambulances use the exit to access the two hospitals in Hillcrest.” The city council approved the project 7-2.

The funding comes from the Regional Park Improvement Fund. “While park improvement funds are rarely used for freeways, staff say the location of SR-163 and Quince Drive in Balboa Park makes the off-ramp repairs an eligible use.” City officials called the repairs urgent, saying the ramp will reopen by the end of this year.

As Bowen notes, “Balboa Park has a long backlog of unfunded repairs ranging from replacing outdated bathrooms to electrical repairs to drainage upgrades. A report published last year by the nonprofit Burnham Center for Community Advancement found the city would need to spend $444.2 million by 2036 to bring all of Balboa Park's amenities into good condition.”