BEVERLY HILLS—Work is slated to begin on the reconstruction project for North Santa Monica Boulevard on Wednesday, January 11 on the west side of Beverly Hills. According to a press release sent to Canyon News from Therese Kosterman, Public Information Manager for the city of Beverly Hills, the project will take exactly 18 months to complete. Reconstruction will include rebuilding the roadway between Doheny Drive and Wilshire Boulevard, replacing century-old drainage and installing fiber optic cable and new street lighting.

The project will be finished in west and east segments with four phases for each segment. The goal is to minimize disruption to residents and businesses, particularly around the holiday season to keep traffic flowing with the goal of finishing the project as soon as possible.

Construction on the western segment, from Wilshire Boulevard to Alpine Drive is expected to stop before the 2017 holiday shopping season. The eastern segment, from Alpine Drive to Doheny Drive, will be built starting in late 2017 and last approximately nine months.

Four lanes of traffic will be accessible to motorists while reconstruction takes place in the curb lane and sidewalk areas. During one-third of the project duration, when the roadway is removed and replace, only two to three lanes will be accessible.

During the phase where only two lanes are available, eastbound traffic will be detoured onto South Santa Monica and Wilshire Boulevards and the two lanes will be available for westbound traffic. To help with traffic flow in the business triangle, street parking along S. Santa Monica Boulevard between Beverly Drive and Wilshire Boulevard will be temporarily shut down. South Santa Monica Boulevard will be reconstruction to provide a five lane cross-section (two lanes in each direction and a median left turn lane).

Officials will be monitoring traffic during the construction period, and mitigation measures will be deployed to deter cut-through traffic in residential regions. Such adjustments to the area include the installation of access ramps to ADA standards, new LED street lights, relocation and upgrade of traffic signals, fiber optics, widening and landscaping on the south side and installation of bioswales on the north side.

“Bioswales are landscaped elements that capture storm water runoff and remove pollutants and silt before the water is released into the watershed. This feature helps meet county requirements for reducing storm runoff and pollutants that flow into Santa Monica Bay,” states the press release.

Construction hours are expected to occur between 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday. Occasional work might occur during night and weekend hours. An outreach program is underway to inform the community of the benefits of the project and how to navigate the streets during the construction. Details are expected to be sent to residents via mail, social media messages, signage and notification of upcoming meetings.

Two community meetings are scheduled for Tuesday, January 31. The first will be held at the Beverly Hills Chamber of Commerce Board Room located at 9400 S. Santa Monica Blvd. 2nd Floor from 8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. Free 2-hour parking will be available at the Beverly Canyon parking structure.  The second meeting will be held at City Hall Municipal Gallery located at 455 N. Rexford Dr. from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. Free 2-horu parking will be available at the Rexford parking structure.

The www.beverlyhills.org/smblvd website will be updated on a consistent basis for residents and businesses to sign up and receive emailed notifications through Ask Bev, www.beverlyhills.org/AskBev. Information will also be available via www.Facebook.com/CityofBeverlyhills and www.Twitter.com/CityofBevHills.

For those with question can reach the city of Beverly Hills via email at smblvd@beverlyhills.org, the project helpline at (424) 339-9033 or the Public Works Customer Service line (310) 285-2467.