08/23/2026
Goodbye, San Onofre Domes.
Pretty much every driver on I-5 has had their own nickname for them. After decades of watching those two giant concrete domes sitting between the freeway and the Pacific, it’s going to feel strange seeing that coastline without them.
The two containment domes at San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station have been there since the early 1980s, becoming one of the most recognizable—and occasionally joked-about—landmarks along the Southern California coast.
After a steam-generator tube leak in 2012, the plant was permanently shut down in 2013, and decommissioning began in 2020. Around 400,000 pounds of rubble has already been transported by rail to Utah, with the domes now scheduled to come down by the end of 2027.
And no, they aren't planning some spectacular Hollywood-style implosion. The domes will be dismantled slowly, piece by piece, using excavators.
By 2028, the famous silhouettes could be gone.
Well… almost.
The seawall stays.
The switchyard stays.
And the spent nuclear fuel stays in dry storage near the ocean—because apparently humanity still hasn't figured out where to permanently put the stuff.
So after more than 40 years of dominating the view from I-5…
What the hell are we supposed to call that place now? 😎
r
