2024 DCC Award Winner

I-5 Vista Point, T.B. Penick & Sons, San Diego, CA

First Place: WOW Award and Multiple Applications, Over 5,000 SF

The North Coast Corridor (NCC) project is a significant infrastructure initiative in California aimed at enhancing transportation, environmental protection, and coastal access within San Diego County. The project is a collaboration between Caltrans, SANDAG (San Diego Association of Governments), and the U.S. Department of Transportation.

Build NCC is the first phase of the $869 million 40-year NCC Program and it focuses on improvement projects in San Diego County’s North County area which includes the Cities of Solana Beach, Encinitas and Carlsbad. We had the pleasure of collaborating early on with Caltrans to develop decorative concrete finishes for the Interstate 5 Vista Point portion of the Build NCC project. This overlook, shaped like a jellyfish, is located just south of Birmingham Drive and offers a view of San Elijo Lagoon and is the newest connector segment of the North Coast Bike Trail.

The Jellyfish Overlook features walkways made of integrally colored Lithocrete, embedded with a mix of crushed seashells and a vibrant 1/4” river rock aggregate featuring hues of orange, gold, white, and red. This unique blend of aggregate and seashells meanders along the walkway, leading to the “Jellyfish Head,” officially known as Vista Point Plaza.

At Vista Point Plaza, the integrally colored Lithocrete finish incorporates a 3/8” river rock aggregate of the same colorful variety. Additionally, it includes a 1 ½” Earthtone river rock aggregate featuring hues of grey, green, and purple. The rest of the overlook is comprised of gravel mulch, cobble mulch, and boulders, enhancing the natural aesthetic of the area. The walls at the plaza and seats are by others.

The Vista Point parking lot sidewalk leading to the Jellyfish Overlook also feature integrally colored Lithocrete, fully seeded with the same vibrant 3/8” river rock aggregate used at the plaza. We also installed this same finish at the nearby San Elijo Activity Hub Park & Ride trailhead node, and around the node we poured integrally colored Lithocrete Quarried Stone finish. In total, we poured 19,220 square feet of Lithocrete, and it was all sealed with a penetrating sealer to maintain its natural aesthetic.

Challenges of the project include the difficult formwork necessary to achieve the required elevations at the Jellyfish walkways due to the downhill slope of the Jellyfish and the radiuses of the walkways. The most challenging aspect of the project was achieving the correct elevations for the hardscape paving near the plaza seat walls. This was essential to ensure proper water drainage and prevent pooling against the walls, especially since the seat walls lacked weep holes. To solve this, we had to submit a request to Caltrans for elevation adjustments at the plaza, strategically introducing high points to ensure water would flow appropriately to the drains.