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 discussed for years.
Under the city's Shoreline Drive Realignment Project, the existing southbound roadway would be widened to accommodate traffic in both directions between Ocean Boulevard and Seventh Street.
The redesign includes narrower driving lanes intended to reduce vehicle speeds, upgraded traffic signals and improvements to maintain access through the area.
Approximately 1.5 miles of protected pedestrian and bicycle facilities would also connect downtown with the waterfront, the Los Angeles River trail system and neighborhoods west of Interstate 710.
The city plans to plant 500 native trees, replacing approximately 170 expected to be removed during construction.
The roadway changes are part of a broader effort to reconnect downtown green spaces, including a separate Drake–Chávez Connection Project that would create a new 4.5-acre park north of Seventh Street, linking Drake Park and César Chávez Park.
That park would replace a former Metropolitan Transportation Authority property currently used by the city for storage and include basketball and pickleball courts, children's play areas and skateable landscaping, according to an Oct. 28 report by the Long Beach Post.
Together, the improvements are intended to create approximately 22 acres of continuous green space extending from Drake Park through César Chávez Park, with improved pedestrian and bicycle connections continuing toward the waterfront.
The changes would address a longstanding concern among residents about the existing northbound lanes of Shoreline Drive, which separate portions of César Chávez Park and carry vehicles toward the freeway.
Ryan Wolfe, president of the Willmore City Community Association, told the Long Beach Post that residents have sought better access to the park for decades, describing the existing roadway as a "surface-level freeway" where drivers routinely travel at high speeds.
The estimated $73 million project is backed by a combination of federal, county and local transportation funding. The largest contributions are a $30 million federal Reconnecting Communities grant and up to $35 million in Metro Measure M funding, with approximately $8 million coming from other transportation sources, including Measure R, local Measure A sales tax revenue and gas tax funds.
However, the Metro allocation includes a repayment requirement. According to Metro's funding documents, Long Beach must repay approximately $11.5 million of the additional allocation over 10 years, beginning in fiscal year 2033. At its Oct. 6 meeting, the City Council awarded a $44.1 million construction contract to Sully-Miller Contracting Company, with a 15 percent contingency bringing the maximum authorized amount to approximately $50.7 million.
Council members also approved a $3.4 million construction management and inspection contract with Long Beach-based PMCS Group, with a maximum authorized amount of approximately $3.7 million including contingency. The contracts are detailed in the city's official council meeting records.
Construction is expected to unfold in phases, with work on Shoreline Drive south of Ocean Boulevard scheduled to begin in early 2027 and finish before the 2028 Olympic Games, according to the Long Beach Post. The more substantial relocation of Shoreline Drive through César Chávez Park is expected after the Games, followed by construction of the new park north of Seventh Street.
City officials are targeting 2030 for completion of the broader park improvements, although individual phases may have different construction schedules.
The project is also designed to complement the eventual replacement of Shoemaker Bridge, which carries traffic between downtown Long Beach and the 710 Freeway. That much larger undertaking is not included in the current $73 million project, and the city is still seeking funding for it.
For residents, the transformation promises something more immediate than a redesigned roadway: the chance to walk through a substantially larger downtown park without crossing a major traffic route, with new recreational areas and safer connections extending toward the waterfront.
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