Long Beach's $73 Million Plan Would Replace Busy Roadway With Parkland – Patch

Long Beach’s $73 Million Plan Would Replace Busy Roadway With Parkland  Patch

The project would nearly double César Chávez Park, reconnect downtown green spaces and create safer routes to the waterfront. LONG BEACH, CA — A busy stretch of roadway that cuts through one of Long Beach's downtown parks is set to make way for acres of green space under a $73 million transformation that would reconnect neighborhoods, expand recreational facilities and make the waterfront easier to reach on foot or by bicycle. The project would move the northbound lanes of Shoreline Drive west, alongside the southbound lanes near the Los Angeles River, eliminating the road that currently divides César Chávez Park and forces visitors to cross traffic traveling toward the 710 Freeway.

In its place, the city plans to create approximately 5.6 acres of parkland, nearly doubling the size of César Chávez Park and allowing visitors to move between its sections without crossing the busy roadway. The long-awaited project is moving forward after the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority approved up to $35 million in additional funding, helping Long Beach preserve a $30 million federal grant that had been jeopardized by a financing shortfall. Metro announced the funding in an Oct. 26 statement, following its board's approval in September. The Long Beach City Council subsequently approved construction contracts Oct. 6, clearing another major hurdle for a project that has been