City officials Thursday celebrated the completion of the $15.6 million Harbor Boulevard Roadway Improvements Project in the San Pedro area.
“The project improves public safety, streamlines traffic and will provide enhanced vehicle and pedestrian access to the San Pedro Public Market,” Los Angeles City Councilman Joe Buscaino said. “Next up in this amazing transformation of the L.A. waterfront is the construction of a town square and waterfront promenade.”
The project involved realigning Harbor Boulevard and extending Miner Street to the intersection of the newly aligned Harbor Boulevard. A new traffic signal was also added at the intersection of Harbor Boulevard and 7th Street, as well as bike lanes, marked crosswalks, outdoor lighting, landscaping and walkways.
“This project exemplifies the port’s commitment to our Public Access Investment Plan, which has allocated about $400 million in capital for L.A. waterfront public access projects,” Harbor Commission President Jaime Lee said. “Next up we’ll begin investing almost $33 million on a new town square at 6th Street and a waterfront promenade in front of the future San Pedro Public Market.”
Work on the town square and promenade is expected to begin in spring of 2019, with the promenade to run parallel to the Los Angeles Main Channel for more than a half-mile, meeting the new town square at 6th Street, just east of Harbor Boulevard. The San Pedro Public Market is also expected to undergo a $152 million redevelopment project in 2019.
“Today we celebrate yet another in a long list of milestones that the Port of Los Angeles has accomplished in recent years to transform the L.A. waterfront into a world-class, vibrant visitor and tourist destination,” Los Angeles Harbor Commissioner Anthony Pirozzi Jr. said. “Completion of this project takes us one step closer to that vision.”
The Harbor Boulevard Road Improvements Project took just under 18 months to complete. The total project costs of $15.6 million was paid by the Port of Los Angeles, including $8.6 million in grant funding from Metro.