In the coming months, a residential pocket of Point Loma will watch an electric eyesore go away. Construction started last month on Utilities Undergrounding Project 2J, which will move about 10,000 feet of overhead utility lines underground in areas that include Roseville, La Playa and Shelter Island within the next two years. “It’s important from a safety issue. You want wires underground,” said District 2 City Councilman Kevin Faulconer. “From a quality-of-life standpoint and aesthetics, it greatly enhances the neighborhood.” Faulconer and Mayor Jerry Sanders were among those on hand in Point Loma last month during National Public Works Week to celebrate the groundbreaking on the $4.8 million project. Construction of underground utilities and removal of existing lines is a five-step process expected to take between 18 and 24 months. “This is the first large-scale residential undergrounding project in Point Loma,” Faulconer said. The area covered by Project 2J is bordered by the corner of Clove and Hugo streets to the north, just north of Cañon Street to the south, and includes Shelter Island. In addition to the undergrounding of the lines, the project will entail the installation of 45 new streetlights and 32 trees. Funding for the multimillion-dollar project comes from the city’s Underground Utilities Program, through which city staff works with San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E), phone and cable companies to relocate about 30-35 miles of overhead utility lines annually. Project 2J in Point Loma is currently one of 24 similar projects under construction in various parts of the city. “This is an issue that I am working on with SDG&E, Cox Cable and others to expedite this program so we can add many more neighborhoods as soon as possible,” Faulconer said. For more information, call (619) 533-3841, or visit www.sandiego.gov/under-grounding.