City to Get $1.24M for PCH Improvements

With the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s approval of a region-wide program to revamp roadways, Hermosa Beach soon will see an upgraded PCH.

The board of the authority on June 23 approved Measure R funding for the South Bay Cities Council of Governments’ list of road improvement projects under the South Bay Highway Program (see accompanying meeting minutes under photo.)

The Metro board oversees distribution of the funds.

Hermosa Beach will receive about $1.24 million to improve PCH from Artesia Boulevard to Anita Street, and the intersection of PCH and Aviation Boulevard under the program—split as $240,000 for PCH from Artesia to Anita and $1 million for the PCH-Aviation junction.

County voters in 2008 approved Measure R, a one-half cent sales tax, which dedicates funding to freeway and state highway operational improvements, according to the council.

Measure R earmarked about $900 million for ramp and interchange improvements along the 405, 110, 105 and SR-91 freeways in the South Bay, according to Metro in a June 16 report.

About $176 million is forecasted to be available now, the report said, and the highway projects are to be completed within the next five years.

Meanwhile, Hermosa Beach’s own  is underway.

The city awarded the project to All American Asphalt and inspection services were awarded to Civil Source, said interim Public Works Director Frank Senteno while giving a project report during a Public Works Commission meeting in May.

“This project is 24 separate street segments and they’re dispersed all over the city,” he said.

The project aims to repair, cape seal or overlay selected roadways and even install speed humps where needed.

Commissioner Mike Flaherty commented on the array of areas around town the project covers, such as many residential streets from Prospect Avenue to PCH to Ardmore and Gould avenues.

“Everyone’s getting something in their neck of the woods,” he said.

The next commission meeting is July 20 at 7 p.m. in City Council chambers.

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