Drivers, riders and pedestrians at Normal Street and University Avenue are moving through a temporary four-way-stop pattern this week. SANDAG scheduled traffic-signal improvements from Monday through Wednesday and said the signals would flash red during the work. The short operation sits inside a much longer construction zone for the Eastern Hillcrest Complete Streets project.
The rule at a flashing red is straightforward: stop, then proceed when safe. The execution is less tidy at one of Hillcrest's busiest crossings, where turning vehicles, buses, people walking and cyclists all compete for the same opening. A normal signal assigns time. Flashing red puts more of that negotiation on each person entering the intersection, so queues can grow even when no lane is fully closed.
A separate restriction remains on Normal Street between University Avenue and Washington Street. Southbound traffic is closed and street parking is unavailable while work proceeds on the Pride Promenade. SANDAG describes that as a long-term closure lasting until the promenade is complete, not a three-day extension of the signal work.
Keeping the timelines separate matters for anyone planning a trip. The intersection signals are scheduled to return to normal after Wednesday's work. The block north of University will not. A driver who waits for the flashing lights to end will still meet the southbound closure, and merchants along the corridor will continue to operate with fewer curb spaces.
The larger project combines separated and buffered bikeways with traffic-calming and intersection changes. SANDAG lists protected or buffered facilities on parts of University and Normal, shared-lane and calming features on Lincoln and Herbert, and additional improvements on Robinson and Park. The Pride Promenade adds public space between University and Washington rather than functioning only as a bicycle segment.
That breadth explains why the work arrives in small packages. Signal equipment has to coordinate with lane geometry and crossings, while the promenade changes how Normal Street carries vehicles and people. Completing one controller or pole does not open the network. The project is scheduled to reach public use in 2027, after the separate elements are connected and accepted.
SANDAG is overseeing construction; the City of San Diego will own and operate the bikeway. That division puts the regional agency in charge of the current contractor and notices, then transfers everyday maintenance and signal operation to the city. Questions about this week's work therefore start with SANDAG even though the finished street will remain a city asset.
The stated objective is safer movement for all roadway users, but the immediate effect is friction. A flashing-red intersection takes longer to clear, the southbound closure redirects traffic and removed parking changes deliveries and customer access. Those costs are concentrated in the construction period, while the promised benefits depend on the final network working as a connected route rather than isolated painted segments.
For the next day, the practical advice is narrower than the project's ambition: allow more time, make a full stop and expect other travelers to read the intersection at different speeds. After the signals resume, keep the detour for the promenade in mind. One disruption is measured in days; the other will shape Hillcrest trips into 2027.