COTO DE CAZA : 3.2-Mile Stretch of Oso Parkway to Open

A 3.2-mile extension of Oso Parkway will open Thursday, granting access to a wilderness park and the undeveloped southern portion of the Coto de Caza gated community.

County officials and representatives of the planned community will host ribbon-cutting ceremonies at 2 p.m.

The $10-million project will give the public road access to Thomas F. Riley Wilderness Park, a 450-acre wilderness area that opens Dec. 10. It was formerly Wagon Wheel Canyon Regional Park and access to it was limited.

Coto officials plan to build up to 2,000 housing units in the south section of the development; the area currently has 1,500 homes. Construction is underway in some sections of the undeveloped area, called South Ranch at Coto, including an 18-hole championship golf course that will open in April.

The road project is part of the Foothill Circulation Phasing Plan, a cooperative venture between the county and developers to further build South County’s street system.

The extension of Oso Parkway will intersect Coto de Caza Drive at the new entrance to the park.

Several major arterials between Interstate 5 and the eastern communities of South County have opened in recent years, including extensions of Alicia Parkway and Oso Parkway.