A failed stormwater pipe is forcing months of lane closures on Del Mar Heights Road, with emergency repairs expected to last through late January 2027.

The San Diego Stormwater Department began work Monday, Oct. 5, on a stretch between Crest Way and Durango Drive after a deteriorating metal pipe gave way along a slope near the road, The Coast News reported. The failure caused erosion and sidewalk damage, according to the city.

Crews will work Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., with temporary lane closures on both sides of the road.

Drivers should expect delays throughout the repair period.

The department's in-house crew will stabilize and restore the failed slope, replace the pipe and drain structures, and repair the sidewalk and roadway, the city said.

Todd Snyder, director of the San Diego Stormwater Department, said in a statement Oct. 5 that the swift response was aimed at stabilizing the infrastructure before further damage could occur. He called the project an example of why ongoing investment in aging infrastructure across the city is critical.

The repairs come ahead of a winter storm season that could bring heavy rain, strong winds and coastal flooding tied to an El Niño cycle. Forecasters put the likelihood of a "super" El Niño developing between October and December at 95%, according to a City of Del Mar notice issued Sept. 3.

The City of San Diego noted the project on its official account Oct. 5, describing it as an effort to repair an aging storm drain system and stabilize the slope.

At a citywide preparedness event in August, Snyder warned that San Diego's stormwater system faces a $5 billion funding gap. The city has secured a $733 million low-interest federal EPA loan for infrastructure upgrades, but officials acknowledged the money will not cover the full need, as Times of San Diego reported.

"If we get a storm of the magnitude that we saw in 2024, we are going to have areas flood, regardless of how much maintenance is happening," Snyder said at the Aug. 18 event.

Del Mar Heights Road falls within the City of San Diego's jurisdiction, so the responding agency is the San Diego Stormwater Department, not Del Mar city staff. The Del Mar City Council was scheduled to receive a separate staff presentation on the city's own El Niño preparations Tuesday, Oct. 6, at Del Mar Civic Center Town Hall.

Drivers using Del Mar Heights Road between Crest Way and Durango Drive can check for updates through the City of San Diego's stormwater department.