A flooding problem that’s inflating the price tag of San Diego’s Pure Water recycling system by many millions is also creating another problem that’s frustrating people from Mission Valley to Point Loma. The seemingly never-ending closure of westbound Friars Road at a key choke point between Napa Street and Sea World Drive is causing major congestion during rush hour and doubling commute times for many. Neighborhood angst across San Diego has been mostly minimal since crews broke ground three years ago on the pipelines and pump stations of the sprawling Pure Water sewage recycling system, the largest project in city history. But the angst is now on the rise in Linda Vista, the location of the Friars Road closure, and in Old Town, Mission Valley and Point Loma — neighborhoods where commuters rely heavily on that western stretch of Friars Road. “The city calls the project ‘Pure Water,’ but it’s becoming a pure nightmare for a neighborhood to go through,” said Robert Myers, who lives on Friars Road two blocks from the closure. Residents were initially told westbound Friars would be closed one year to build Pure Water’s Morena Boulevard pump station. That was more than three years ago, and city officials now call the timeline to re-open “indefinite.” In addition to the delay, neighbors say they’re frustrated that city officials have been less than forthcoming and transparent about the delays and any potential solutions. “There hasn’t been much information, if any, given to us,” said Felicity Senoski, chair of the Linda Vista Community Planning Group. “It’s been tough.” A worker moves a tank at the Pure Water facility on Friday, Sept. 13, 2024 in San Diego, California. (Ana Ramirez / The San Diego Union-Tribune) All the trouble traces back to a notorious flooding problem at the Morena pump station. City officials say a consultant underestimated how vulnerable the site is to flooding, making it nearly impossible to build the pump station. Construction was delayed many months while crews built a $20 million secant wall — essentially a dam around the site of the pump station — to make the land dry enough for construction. Because the pump station won’t be ready on schedule, the city plans to start Pure Water out at 7.5 millions of purified sewage when the system begins running in mid-2026. Officials say the volume will be ramped up to the 30 million gallons per day originally intended when the system is fully operational in late 2027. Pure Water can’t fully function without all 12 parts of the system in place, because all of the elements must work together like a well-choreographed ballet. The flooding problem is the main reason why westbound Friars has been closed more than three years — far longer than the initial one-year estimate. While the closure has always created congestion, Myers said it’s become much worse since crews began work on a separate Pure Water project nearby: underground pipelines known as Morena Conveyance South & Middle. “It is worse this past year because the Friars Road detour points you to the Morena detour, so traffic is backing up even more,” Myers said. “The continued time and money this detour costs the residents of the west end of Mission Valley heading anywhere west or north is never addressed by anyone in the city government.” Traffic seen on Friars Road near Napa Street on Thursday, Dec. 19, 2024 in San Diego. (Meg McLaughlin / The San Diego Union-Tribune) Michele Addington, chair of the Mission Valley Community Planning Group, said it’s a particularly unfortunate spot for a road closure exacerbated by a nearby detour. “There is so much traffic there going to the shopping centers,” she said. “It doesn’t take more than 20 cars to clog the roads.” A city spokesperson gave residents some hope last week. Tyler Becker said city officials are trying to find a way to open one westbound lane on Friars. “With the progress of work on the Morena Pump Station project allowing for some construction site adjustments along Friars Road, the construction team is actively working to determine if a two-way vehicle traffic pattern is possible while still maintaining the work area at the east end of Friars Road,” Becker said. “We plan to have a status update on the alternative traffic control plan in early 2025.” Other neighborhoods have also been affected by Pure Water work — particularly Clairemont, University City and Scripps Ranch. But delays and problems have been rare, and city officials have kept residents updated. “Generally speaking, they don’t spring absolutely new things on us,” said Chris Nielsen, chair of the planning group in University City. “We’ve had things take longer than we would like, but it’s been reasonably straightforward.” Unfortunately for those affected by the Friars closure, more trouble is on the way. Construction of the nearby Alvarado Second Pipeline is expected to begin soon and could be underway through 2029. The project will replace water pipelines along Friars, Sea World Drive, Fashion Valley Road, Riverwalk Drive, Hazard Center Drive and Frazee Road between Interstate 805 and Sea World. This stretch of Friars has already suffered in recent years from work on the Riverwalk project and the now-completed double-tracking of railroad between Tecolote Road and the Old Town Transit Center. Scheduled road closures can be tracked at purewatersd.org, which has an interactive map.