The Law of Unintended Consequences
 

Never having had to turn left out of Del Mar on to Rio Grande, I cannot say whether or not that junction got backed up. But presumably it did, and four-way stop signs were put in some time back.

This made it easier to exit Del Mar, resulting in more people using it as a cut through.

Which has resulted in dangerous backing up at the other end of that stretch of Del Mar - the gate at the junction with Avenida Central.

And if they put in double gates there it will probably result in traffic backing up somewhere else.

Ya shudda seen it before the four-way stop. I remember one day seeing it backed up to the Rio Grande pool. Being backed up to the end of Del Mar doesn't happen too often. A quick tip -- stay away from that intersection at the beginning of events or when a popular band is at Spanish Springs. If in a car, I've found it easier to go down Main Street at those times and that ain't no picnic, neither.

I got caught in a mess trying to cross from Spanish Springs into Del Mar after a popular event but, as you say, there are ways around the problem.

Soon, several thousand people will return to their other places.

We will miss them, but it will be less congested.