BY NICK DIAMANTIDES
Staff Writer
“There are two street-work projects coming to Bixby Knolls,” said Blair Cohn, executive director of the Bixby Knolls Business Improvement Association. “But we don’t want everybody to panic, because it’s not going to be nearly as extensive as what was done this past year.”
Cohn explained that one of the projects involves Carson Street between Long Beach Boulevard and Atlantic Avenue. “That section of Carson will get totally reconstructed,” he said. “It’s being funded by federal stimulus money.” He added that the project will cost $540,000.
Carson Street from Atlantic Avenue to just before Elm Avenue is paved with asphalt. According to Cohn, crews will dig that section down to the dirt, cover it with concrete and cover it with new rubberized asphalt.
“From Elm to Long Beach Boulevard, the pavement is concrete,” Cohn said. “They will also grind that down and remove it, and then put rubberized asphalt on top, “ Cohn said, adding that the improvements will make for smoother travel and a quieter street. “They are also putting bike lanes in, which will narrow it a little bit to slow down traffic,” he said. “They are also going to bring the alley at Elm farther out to make a better sight line for people driving out of the alley.”
He explained that, currently, northbound motorists exiting the Elm Avenue alley do not have a good view of cars headed east on Carson Street and must creep out slowly watching for oncoming traffic. After the crews bring the sight line out farther, motorists exiting the alley will be able to see the traffic without having to get dangerously close to the traffic lanes.
Cohn noted that preliminary work has already begun on that project. Crews have been digging small potholes to map out the exact locations of underground utilities. “They have already started the light work, and they have marked up the street,” he said. “They are waiting until after the holidays to really begin the heavy work.”
Cohn said some more preliminary work could take place the week of Dec. 28, but on Jan. 5 the city will conduct a groundbreaking ceremony to signify the official start of the street reconstruction. “One of the requirements of receiving federal stimulus funds is that you have to have a groundbreaking ceremony,” he said. “The city council offices have organized that.”
The Carson Street reconstruction project is expected to last slightly more than two months, according to Cohn. He explained that, during the major phases of the work, traffic will be restricted to one lane in each direction. “For as long as they can, they will have two-way traffic moving along one side of the street,” he said. “There may be a time when they have to close it completely, and if they do there will of course have to be detours.” He added that, for a while, Linden Avenue will be closed, preventing motorists from entering Carson Street at that intersection. In addition, crews will be replacing the wheelchair ramps along Carson Street. “There is also going to be a lot of sidewalk repair,” Cohn said. “Needed work to alleys, driveways and sidewalks will be done,” he said. “It will look pretty nice when it is completed.”
The second, much smaller project, is the installation of fiber-optic cables beneath the sidewalks on Atlantic Avenue from Bixby Road to San Antonio Drive, mostly on the west side of the street. The project will begin on Jan. 4 and is part of the Douglas Park adaptive traffic control system. It’s a citywide traffic-control system that involves the installation of underground conduits, cabinets and poles for traffic-signal communication. The project is designed to coordinate traffic signals throughout Long Beach and neighboring cities as a way of mitigating the effects of the industrial park now being developed by the Boeing Company in the vicinity of Carson Street and Lakewood Boulevard.
“The fiber-optic project will be quick, and it will not affect the street,” Cohn said. “They will actually bore under the sidewalks, shoot a cable through and pull it through 500 feet at a time.” He said immediately after each section of cable is pulled crews will repair the potholes dug into the sidewalks. “This will have a minimal, short-lived impact on pedestrian traffic,” Cohn said. “But the obvious question is why wasn’t this done when Atlantic Avenue was being repaved?” He said some of the work was actually done during that time, but the funding for the fiber-optic project was not in place at the time of the Atlantic repaving project. Cohn said Boeing is paying the complete cost of the fiber-optic project, which is expected to take three to four weeks.
He said the two upcoming projects will work together to improve traffic conditions in Bixby Knolls. “We are fortunate that we are getting the attention of the city during these tough budget times,” he said. “When it’s all said and done, it will be another improvement that enhances the quality of life and prospects for businesses in Bixby Knolls.”
