On October 5, 2026, Monterey-Salinas Transit moved the Monterey Bay Coastal Trail in Sand City onto a stretch of pavement it calls the new Beach Range Road multiuse trail extension. A temporary connector links that extension back to the main coastal trail beside Highway 1. If you start your walk, run or bike commute in Seaside, the place to get on the trail going north this fall is the western end of Playa Avenue.
MST's SURF! project promises about a mile of new trail once construction ends, and it includes "Beach Range Road Trail extensions at the southern and northern ends" in that mile. So while the busway work is underway, the route around it already uses some of the trail the project is meant to leave behind.
What Changed on October 5
MST is turning the intersection of California Avenue and the Highway 1 southbound on-ramp into a modern roundabout. While a section of the coastal trail next to it is upgraded, here is the route MST describes:
- From the Sand City side, get onto the Monterey Bay Coastal Trail at the western end of Playa Ave.
- Follow the posted signs onto the new Beach Range Road multiuse trail extension.
- Use the temporary connector to get back onto the Monterey Bay Coastal Trail next to Highway 1.
- Stay off any freshly paved busway surface. MST says those surfaces are an active construction zone and not open to the public.
MST also notes that crews may be doing other work nearby, including vegetation management and retaining wall construction, and that more lane restrictions can come with night work. MST crews have also painted directional arrows on the coastal trail to guide walkers and cyclists around the construction zones. Those arrows are the most reliable guide on the ground.
The Reopening Date Already Moved Once
On October 1, MST posted a tighter schedule. The detour was to run October 2 to 22, and the upgraded coastal trail was to reopen on October 23, which MST marked as tentative. MST also said that once the trail reopened, the temporary connector across the busway would close and people heading north toward Marina would go back to the Monterey Bay Coastal Trail.
Four days later the notice changed. The current version gives the detour window as "October 5 – TBD, 2026," with no reopening date. Until MST posts a new update, nobody has published a date for when the main coastal trail through this stretch reopens. MST takes questions at (831) 387-3500 or [email protected].
The date moved for an ordinary reason. MST says on every notice that schedules can change without notice because of weather, site conditions or other unforeseen circumstances. That warning covers the whole project, not just this intersection.
Why the Old Beach Range Road Stays Fenced Off
The detour uses the new extension because the older Beach Range Road trail, the route many walkers and cyclists used between Seaside and Marina, is closed for a different project. California State Parks is building a campground at Fort Ord Dunes State Park. State Parks says that work started in summer 2025 and should take about two years. One part of the recreation trail is detoured outside the park, and the park's other trails and the beach stay open.
So two public agencies are building on the same strip of dunes west of Highway 1, on overlapping schedules. Monterey County NOW reported that the projects ended up running at the same time after each dealt with its own funding, permitting and redesign problems. County Supervisor Wendy Root Askew told the outlet:
"As a result, the Beach Range Road trail that we've been utilizing for biking and pedestrian access is not accessible for a period of about two years."
In the same report, Root Askew said the other route, the paved trail east of the chain-link fence and closer to Highway 1, doesn't offer the same flexibility and hasn't been properly maintained. Much of the surface is bumpy, and some sections are overgrown. Her office has received many calls about the reroute, especially from people who used Beach Range Road to get to CSU Monterey Bay and Marina, since it has exits onto Divarty and 8th streets. According to the report, many of those commuters now ride the parallel Monterey Bay Sanctuary Scenic Trail. Other choices are General Jim Moore Boulevard, which has no dedicated bike lane, and routes through Fort Ord, which can add time to a commute.
The State Parks page for Fort Ord Dunes still lists some closed trails, including part of Beach Range Road. Its posted closure map is labeled as updated May 29, 2026. If you're headed to the park itself, State Parks gives these directions from Highway 1: take the Light Fighter Drive exit, turn onto 2nd Avenue, then Divarty Street, then 1st Avenue, and follow the signs to the entrance at the 8th Street overcrossing.
Getting to the Trail From Seaside This Fall
Playa Ave carries more of the load now, and it had its own closure only weeks ago. From the night of September 20 to the morning of September 24, MST fully closed Playa Ave between California Ave and Del Monte Blvd to put new traffic signals at the Playa and California intersection, then worked overnight on September 24 and 25. During that closure, drivers reached Edgewater Shopping Center by Metz Rd or by California Ave at the Panera entrance. The Sand City Station bus stops were temporarily out of service, and riders were sent to the HomeGoods stop at the western end of Playa.
This is the same busway work that has been working its way along the corridor since 2025. Last fall, MST closed the trail east of Highway 1 between 8th and 5th streets for future Marina station work and sent trail users to 8th Street and Beach Range Road. A second closure, between Reindollar and Palm avenues, moved people onto the east sidewalk of Del Monte Boulevard. Each detour has followed wherever the crews happened to be working.
A few fixed points are useful if you're heading out from Seaside:
- AMG Cyclery at 805 Broadway Avenue in Seaside appears on Bicycling Monterey's list of bike shops, which was last confirmed current on April 4, 2026.
- Seaside Beach, the northern end of Monterey State Beach, is reached from the Highway 218/Seaside exit, with parking north of Monterey Tides at the end of Canyon Del Rey Boulevard, according to See Monterey's Seaside guide.
- Sand City's coastal path is still being developed. The city describes it with parking on Tioga Avenue and a restroom on West Bay Street.
Where Each Project Stands
| Project | Who is building it | Started | Expected finish | What it adds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SURF! Busway and Bus Rapid Transit | Monterey-Salinas Transit | April 2025 | Spring 2028, with KSBW reporting a March 2028 target as of April 2026 | Five-mile busway beside Highway 1, about one mile of new multiuse trail |
| Fort Ord Dunes State Park campground | California State Parks | Summer 2025 | Expected to open in 2027 | 98 campsites, accessible beach access, visitor and community building |
| Sand City rail-corridor trail | City of Sand City | Slated to start construction in 2027 | Not published | About one mile of multiuse trail |
KSBW reported in April 2026 that the busway was six weeks ahead of schedule and expected to finish by March 2028. MST's own construction page says work continues through spring 2028. MST describes the busway as five miles long. An older Transportation Agency for Monterey County description of the corridor says about six miles. The five-mile figure matches MST's current materials.
The campground is the nearer finish line. State Parks plans 45 RV sites, 43 tent sites and 10 hike, bike or walk-in sites, along with accessible beach access and a campfire center. Monterey County NOW reported that Dan Shaw, Monterey District superintendent for State Parks, put the work about a quarter of the way done at the time of a December community meeting, with an expected opening in 2027. State Parks hasn't published a specific opening day.
What the Extra Mile Is Meant to Connect
According to MST's project overview, the new multiuse trail will link Beach Range Road in Marina and Sand City and improve access to Fort Ord Dunes State Park and to FORTAG, the planned Fort Ord trail network. Monterey County NOW reported that once both projects are done, Beach Range Road reopens and the trail system gets longer. "This project will extend the bike trail a mile," MST CEO Carl Sedoryk told the outlet.
Not every connection has worked out as planned. In separate coverage, Monterey County NOW reported that State Parks turned down a planned pedestrian and bike connection at 5th Street, citing natural resources and overlap with existing routes. MST proposed improvements to the 8th Street bridge instead. MST's general manager pointed to March 31, 2028 as the federal deadline for the busway to be operating. The Transportation Agency for Monterey County lists the project's trail connections at Palm Avenue and Del Monte Boulevard and at 5th Street Station in Marina, and at California Avenue in Sand City, which is the same intersection where this fall's roundabout work is happening.
For anyone starting in Seaside, the California Avenue connection in Sand City is the closest of those listed trail connections. Until then, the way in is the western end of Playa Avenue, and the route beyond it follows MST's painted arrows.
Our team follows projects like SURF! and the Fort Ord Dunes campground because they change how a neighborhood works long before a ribbon is cut. If you live near Playa Ave, the Fort Ord side of Seaside or anywhere along the busway and want to talk through what these projects could mean for your home, Carmel Valley Realty Company is happy to help. Request a Home Valuation and we'll go over it with you.
