Controversial Toll Road Through State Beach Heads to Commission

"The proposal before the panel, the California Coastal Commission, calls for completing the last 16 miles of a 28-mile toll road in Orange and San Diego Counties intended to alleviate worsening congestion on the main interstate between Los Angeles and San Diego."

"But the path of the proposed six-lane roadway bisects San Onofre State Beach, a 3,036-acre park that is coveted by surfers for its stellar waves and by environmentalists for its large nature preserve."

"Interest in the commission's vote is so great that the meeting on Wednesday is being held at a fairgrounds in Del Mar, north of San Diego, to accommodate the expected crowds."

"Supporters of the toll road, which is being backed by the quasi-public Transportation Corridor Agencies, describe it as an essential artery for a regional road system that will only get more clogged as proposed housing and commercial developments are built."

"The road, in the planning stages since 1981, has been scrutinized for years, the supporters say, to ensure that any damage to the state park is minimal."