Infrastructure needs will cost San Diego $7.8 billion it doesn’t have

San Diego’s funding shortfall for infrastructure projects has climbed to a record $7.8 billion this winter, up nearly 20% compared to last year and more than 62% compared to two years ago.

The shortfall — the gap between projected infrastructure needs over the next five years and the funding available for them — would be even larger if city officials calculated infrastructure needs beyond five years.

A new 77-page infrastructure report released over the weekend says the gap also doesn’t include the costs of new seawalls and other projects San Diego is expected to need as climate change accelerates sea-level rise.

The report says the city has $12.82 billion in projected infrastructure needs from fiscal year 2027, which begins in July, through fiscal year 2031. To address those needs, the city projects to have just over $5 billion.

The gap was $6.5 billion last winter — $11.9 billion in needs versus $5.4 billion in funding — and $4.8 billion the winter before that.

While the main drivers of gap’s growth are higher building and b...