News ReleaseCity of Long Beach Public Information Office
333 W. Ocean Blvd, Long Beach, CA 90802

7/15/2008

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PRESS RELEASE #CM:071508
Subject :

Environmentally Friendly Techniques Used to Resurface 7th Street
Second and Final Phase Set for July 18-21
Contact :Mark Christoffels, City Engineer    570.6771
The pavement resurfacing project that is closing 7th Street between Redondo Avenue and Pacific Coast Highway this weekend is utilizing a host of environmentally friendly construction techniques. 

The second and final phase of the project will be from 8:00 pm on Friday, July 18 through 5:00 am on Monday, July 21. The project requires removing the top layer of deteriorated asphalt and replacing it with newer rubberized asphalt. Because traffic volumes on 7th Street are high and there is little room for a contractor to perform safe lane closures to resurface the street, the project has been streamlined and condensed to be done during only two weekend closures, the first of which occurred from July 11-14.


  • By performing the work during the two weekend closures, the City will be expediting the work, which will reduce emissions from the construction equipment as well as the many hours of idling vehicles that would occur due to traffic congestion if this project were to be constructed during regular workday hours. It is estimated that more than 80,000 hours of vehicle idling time and the associated pollution will be avoided by this method of construction.
 
  • All of the old asphalt material to be removed under this contract (7,000 tons) will be recycled into new asphalt or utilized as base material on other street projects. This equates to 5,000 times the tons of trash disposed by a typical Long Beach family over a one-year period.

  • The street will be resurfaced with asphalt containing up to 15 percent recycled material as well as recycled rubber from old tires. It is estimated that up to 12,000 tires will be recycled through the use of rubberized asphalt in this project.
 
  • A total of 560 tons of road base made from recycled concrete, rock, sand, and asphalt will be utilized in this project, and all concrete work will include recycled waste ash diverting these materials from landfills.
Traffic will be routed from 7th Street to Anaheim Street via Redondo Avenue and PCH during the closures.

The project will include the replacement of damaged curbs and gutters, installation of concrete bus pads, new pavement markings, vehicle loop detectors, and a traffic signal interconnect system. 

To help prepare residents and businesses for the 7th Street closures, the City of Long Beach implemented a comprehensive, proactive public outreach campaign that included letters to every resident and business affected, press releases, web sites, community informational meetings, detour maps, signs, and newspaper advertisements. In addition, staff with the Department of Public Works met directly with each affected business before the project began.

Businesses have been informed that while the street will be closed, the sidewalks in these areas as well as the side streets will remain open and pedestrian access to their businesses will remain available during these periods.  In addition, parking lots and driveways that have access from side streets will also remain available to the public.  

Long Beach Transit bus routes affected are 81, 91, 92, 93, and 94. For more information, please visit www.lbtransit.com/news or call 562.591.2301.

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