The corner where Fremont Boulevard meets Canyon Del Rey is still a work zone this week. Crews are forming and pouring stamped concrete at the western corner by Laguna Grande Park and at the southern corner by Safeway. They're also slurry sealing the intersection. The right-turn lane from Fremont onto eastbound State Route 218 is closed, so drivers turning right use the second northbound through lane instead. All of this belongs to the Canyon Del Rey segment of the Fort Ord Regional Trail and Greenway, known as FORTAG. Its most visible delay has been the Frog Pond Wetland Preserve, which sits just over the line in Del Rey Oaks and has stayed closed while the trail is built through its corner.
The newest construction bulletin from the City of Del Rey Oaks, for the week of October 5, 2026, says the preserve "remains closed and is expected to reopen in November 2026." Last year's announcement explains why that month matters. The preserve's schedule depends on when the wetland can be worked in, not only on how fast the crew moves.
A preserve that has been "next month" for almost a year
The Frog Pond was originally supposed to reopen in December 2025. That date and the next two were missed, and November is the fourth target:
- December 2025. The Transportation Agency for Monterey County and the Monterey Peninsula Regional Park District planned to reopen access "next month," once the first half of the undercrossing along State Route 218 was finished.
- August 2026. A TAMC announcement dated November 14, 2025 moved the reopening to August 2026.
- "As early as late July." A Park District staff report from July 2026 briefly gave an earlier date.
- November 2026. The October 5 bulletin now lists November.
Each new date was a reasonable estimate when it was given. The jump from December to August is the one that shows how this project's calendar actually works.
The date that stalled the project last winter was December 15
The November 2025 announcement gave two reasons for the delay. First, unexpected PG&E work on utility relocations and transmission pole supports pushed construction later than planned. Second, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Regional Water Quality Control Board don't allow work in the wetland preserve during winter. Under that rule, work had to stop by December 15 and couldn't start again until April. Before the deadline, the contractor, Graniterock, winterized the area to protect the work zone and the habitat around it.
That's how a few weeks of utility delay became a ten-month closure. Missing the mid-December cutoff meant losing the whole winter.
TAMC Executive Director Todd Muck put it plainly in that announcement:
"While we know that this news is disappointing to those that wish to access the Frog Pond, this area continues to be an active construction zone. Our priority is keeping the public safe and it is unsafe to allow access to the Frog Pond area until construction is complete."
The current target, November 2026, comes only weeks before that same date. None of the current materials say whether the winter restriction will apply again this year or whether the remaining work is inside the preserve. If it does apply, the weeks between now and mid-December are the ones to watch. This week's bulletin has crews installing erosion control in the Frog Pond and Work Memorial Park areas, along with retaining wall guardrails and ramp handrails in the Frog Pond area.
What's open on the Seaside side this month
Carlton Drive reopened to traffic on Monday, September 28, after a five-month closure. TAMC has said more short-term road closures will be needed before the project is finished, with details to come in future updates. Having the road back doesn't mean the trail is open. The trail itself is still closed to the public.
The October 5 bulletin also reports:
- Access to Work Memorial Park, the Butterfly Garden and the tennis courts is restricted during construction.
- Crews will keep pouring trail concrete between the new SR 218 bridge and the Del Rey Oaks corporation yard. Over the next two weeks they'll also add decomposed granite surfacing along SR 218 by Safeway.
- Benches and trash cans are scheduled to go in around Work Memorial Park in the next two weeks.
- Work hours are 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, though the contractor plans to finish most work by 5:00 p.m. When needed, night work runs 9:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m., Sunday through Thursday.
The finish date depends on who you ask. TAMC's project page says construction will continue "through Fall 2026." Monterey County NOW reported that the agency expects completion by December. The construction contract stays in effect through February 2027 so the remaining punch-list items can be finished. No ribbon-cutting or public opening date has been announced.
What the finished segment connects
Seen from the Seaside side, the route is easier to picture. The segment starts at North Fremont Boulevard and Canyon Del Rey and runs through Work Memorial Park and Del Rey Park. It then passes under Canyon Del Rey into the corner of the Frog Pond, climbs back up to Carlton Drive and continues to Plumas Avenue, ending at Del Rey Woods Elementary. The crossing under the highway is a 10.5-foot-tall passage beneath the new roadway bridge on Highway 218. Once it opens, people on foot or bike won't have to cross the highway at street level.
The construction contract was awarded at $20.7 million. Of that, $9.2 million came from a grant and the other $11.5 million came from Measure X.
This segment is the first built piece of a planned 28-mile paved route for walking and biking. FORTAG is meant to link Seaside, Marina, Del Rey Oaks, Monterey and nearby unincorporated communities. It's also meant to connect with the existing Monterey Bay Sanctuary Scenic Trail and the unpaved trails of the Fort Ord National Monument. Two more segments are in design. The California Avenue segment, from Patton Parkway to Imjin Road in Marina, is set to start construction in 2027. The Jerry Smith segment, from Imjin Road to the Jerry Smith Trailhead, is set to start in 2028. TAMC's current segment overview doesn't give a schedule for any further Seaside segment. For now, the Canyon Del Rey stretch is the only part of FORTAG that touches Seaside.
When the gate opens, the rules inside are different
The Monterey Peninsula Regional Park District manages the Frog Pond as a 17-acre preserve. Visitors walk the perimeter around a central pond and wetland. The District lists frogs, deer, hummingbirds, towhees, mallards and western fence lizards among the wildlife, living among coast live oak, arroyo willow and Monterey pine. The District also calls it a birding destination. The public entrance is on Canyon Del Rey Road between General Jim Moore Boulevard and Highland Street, and roadside parking there is limited.
Cyclists should know one thing before they go. FORTAG is being built for pedestrians, bicyclists and people with disabilities. The preserve, though, doesn't currently allow bicycles, and the Park District's board hasn't taken any further action on bike use. So you'll be able to ride the new trail into the Frog Pond corner, but inside the preserve you'll need to walk.
Where to walk until then
Until the Frog Pond reopens, two longer routes nearby are open:
- Monterey Bay Coastal Recreation Trail. This paved route runs 18 miles from Castroville to Pacific Grove. The City of Monterey notes that it was built with help from Monterey, Pacific Grove and Seaside.
- Fort Ord Dunes State Park. The park has its own north-south recreation trail for hikers and cyclists, with a signed entrance at the 8th Street overcrossing of Highway 1. California State Parks says some trails are closed, including part of Beach Range Road. Its closure map is dated May 29, 2026, so check the State Parks page before you go.
The current materials don't show a direct, rideable link yet between the Canyon Del Rey segment and either of these routes. TAMC's plan calls for those connections across the region over time. For updates, TAMC runs a sign-up page for the Canyon Del Rey segment, and the City of Del Rey Oaks posts construction bulletins like the October 5 update.
When the trail opens, the Seaside end will run from the Laguna Grande corner to Plumas Avenue. If you own a home near Canyon Del Rey, Fremont Boulevard or Plumas Avenue and want to understand how a finished trail could factor into your property's value, Jose Lopez can walk you through it. Get a Free Home Valuation for an analysis of your home and the comparable sales nearby.
This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.
