By Mark Edward Nero
On Dec. 8, the Port of Los Angeles joined local officials and community leaders to kick off construction of the Harbor Boulevard Roadway Improvements Project, a reconfigured three-street intersection at Harbor Boulevard, Seventh Street and Sampson Way in San Pedro.
The street realignment is in preparation of the planned San Pedro Public Market, slated to open in 2020 at the current Ports O’ Call Village plaza site on the San Pedro section of the LA Waterfront.
“The redevelopment of Ports O' Call will have a positive ripple effect for the entire Harbor Area community,” L.A. City Councilman Joe Buscaino said.
The realignment is expected to improve both vehicular and pedestrian access with a new traffic signal at the intersection of Harbor Boulevard, Seventh Street and Sampson Way, bike lanes, landscaping, outdoor lighting, and walkways.
In addition, the new intersection would also provide another point for connectivity to other LA Waterfront attractions, including the World Cruise Center, Battleship Iowa and Los Angeles Maritime Museum.
“Realigning Harbor Boulevard and Sampson Way is another significant step in a series of projects,” L.A. Harbor Commissioner Anthony Pirozzi Jr. said. “Once this is completed, we’ll be rolling right into the next phase – construction of an all-new Town Square at Sixth Street, another waterfront promenade and a new public access recreational boat dock.”
During construction, both Harbor Boulevard and Sampson Way are expected to remain open, with partial lane closures from Seventh to 11th streets. Once the realignment is complete, Harbor Boulevard would flow into the Ports O’ Call Village seaside plaza, with direct access to the LA Waterfront.
Construction of the new roadway is expected to be completed in 2018 at a total project cost of $14.8 million, paid by the Port of Los Angeles, including $4.9 million in grant funding from Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority.
Tuesday, December 13, 2016
