The California Coastal Commission on Wednesday, July 9, approved a Caltrans request to widen the PCH bridge connecting Long Beach and Seal Beach.
The item was moved the commission’s Consent Calendar and approved as recommended.
The bridge will be widened by a maximum of 25 feet, according to the unsigned Coastal Commission staff reports. The Caltrans project would also upgrade bridge railings and improve the bikelanes and pedestrian sidewalks. “Additional work includes extensions of the shoulders and sidewalks off the bridge and other associated improvements to the connecting road prisms and replacement of guardrails,” the report said.
“Caltrans aims to upgrade the bridge to meet current safety standards for bridge railings and width, as well as to perform additional seismic retrofit work and ensure its continued operation,” the report said.
“The existing bridge is 428 feet long and 72 feet wide and would be widened between 23.75 and 25 feet, with a new maximum width of 97 feet. The updated bridge would require the installation of 22 new cast-in-place steel shell piles to support the additional width. No changes to the existing bridge piles are proposed. Along with the 1930s era bridge rails, the existing bridge has narrow lanes and essentially no separated bike lane. Sidewalks exist, but they are very narrow and out-of-date. The updated bridge crossing would consist of four 12-foot-wide vehicular travel lanes, eight-foot-wide bicycle lanes, and eight-foot-wide separated pedestrian path/sidewalks, all of which will enhance multimodal access. The project includes reconstruction of the access road entrances that connect to the widened bridge, new retaining walls on southbound Highway 1 for the roadway transition, and a new 187-foot-long sidewalk at the southwest end for pedestrian continuity, and curb ramps and sidewalks upgrades compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA),” the report said.
“To further improve access, staff recommends Special Condition 2, which requires a new sidewalk at the bridge’s southeastern end along the northbound lane, improving pedestrian connections to nearby trails and developments and expands access to Seal Beach and the future Los Cerritos Wetlands Visitor Center. The condition also mandates public access improvements at San Gabriel River Trailheads on Highway 1, including bike ramp reconstruction, replacing chain-link fencing with welded wire-mesh, and other amenities to offset the 18-month trailhead closures during construction,” the report said.
“In addition to public access, the primary issues raised by the project are visual resources, protection of water quality, biological resources and coastal waters. The bridge is in a scenic area under Long Beach’s certified Local Coastal Program (LCP). The updated bridge would be wider with new railings, but Caltrans would maintaining a simple design that preserves views the updated bridge would feature see-through railings that maintain river views and reflect historic arches,” the report said.
“The San Gabriel River under the existing bridge is an artificially channelized estuarine stream bordered by riprap and concrete in a densely developed urban area. The river has a natural bottom, but there are no essential fish habitat or environmentally sensitive habitat areas within the project limits and no natural vegetation. No special status species would be affected. Nonetheless, because there is some fill of coastal waters (estuarine river in this case), which would result in displacement of soft bottom benthic habitat, Caltrans has agreed to provide funding to the Los Cerritos Wetlands Trust for marsh restoration work in the area adjacent to the site,” the report said.
