Major Overhaul Of 4 Miles Of Anaheim Street Heads Toward Construction

LONG BEACH, CA — A major overhaul of one of Long Beach's busiest east-west corridors will bring dozens of upgraded crosswalks and traffic signals, new medians, pedestrian safety improvements and extensive pavement rehabilitation to roughly four miles of Anaheim Street.

The Anaheim Street Corridor Improvement Project will stretch from the Los Angeles River to Pacific Coast Highway, with construction scheduled to begin in early 2027 and continue into early 2028, barring weather delays or other unforeseen circumstances.

The Long Beach City Council on Sept. 22 awarded an $18.53 million construction contract to All American Asphalt, with a 12 percent contingency of about $2.22 million allowing the contract to reach a maximum of approximately $20.75 million.

The broader project carries an anticipated cost of $34 million, according to the city's 2026 Grant Strategy Framework and Project Priority List. City officials will hold a community meeting Tuesday evening to present the project and its anticipated construction schedule to residents and businesses along the corridor.

Anaheim Street serves neighborhoods, commercial districts, schools, transit routes and regional destinations and is described by the city as one of Long Beach's most heavily traveled east-west corridors.

Dozens Of Crosswalks And Signals To Be Upgraded

The project calls for traffic signal upgrades at 20 locations, along with 13 new crosswalks and improvements to 59 existing crosswalks to increase visibility and safety.

Other improvements include rapid-flashing beacons, pedestrian refuge areas and bulb-outs designed to shorten crossing distances and slow vehicles as they turn through intersections. Controlled-access medians will also be installed at locations where severe crashes have historically occurred. The medians will prohibit some unprotected left turns in an effort to reduce conflicts along the corridor.

Those safety measures have been part of the project for years. A 2022 city priority-project document described plans for traffic-signal upgrades, protected turns, pedestrian refuge medians and turn restrictions at collision hot spots along the then-three-mile project area.

The project is aligned with the city's Safe Streets Long Beach initiative and Vision Zero goal of eliminating traffic deaths and serious injuries. Public Works says the improvements are intended to reduce conflicts and improve safety for motorists, pedestrians, bicyclists and transit users. The city's current list of project features does not specify construction of new bike lanes.

Pavement, Sidewalks And Transit Improvements

Beyond the safety work, Anaheim Street itself will undergo extensive rehabilitation. The project originally stretched from the Los Angeles River to Termino Avenue but was expanded east to Pacific Coast Highway after that section was identified for pavement improvements under the city's Pavement Management Plan.

Public Works said combining the additional pavement work with the larger project will restore roadway conditions throughout the corridor while minimizing future construction disruptions. Sidewalks, driveways and curb ramps will be reconstructed where necessary to meet current Americans with Disabilities Act standards, while damaged curbs and gutters will be repaired and new traffic striping installed.

Transit improvements include reconstruction of bus pads to better withstand the weight and repeated stopping of buses, along with expanded bus-stop loading areas. Landscaped medians featuring drought-tolerant plants are also planned.

A 2024 Public Works update on major corridor projects described Anaheim Street improvements including access medians, landscaping and irrigation, signal upgrades, pedestrian refuges, pavement rehabilitation, concrete repairs, signing and striping. The city said at the time that several separately developed sections would ultimately be combined into one corridor project.

Construction Scheduled Through Early 2028

The project is being paid for through a mixture of local, county and federal sources, including Metro Proposition A and Proposition C funds, Measures M and R, congressional funding, the federal Highway Safety Improvement Program, gas tax revenue, traffic impact fees, federal Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act transportation funding, and Long Beach Measure A funds and bonds.

As part of its Sept. 22 action, the City Council also authorized an additional $7 million in appropriations backed by federal Community Project Funding/Congressionally Directed Spending administered by Caltrans.

The Anaheim Street improvements are part of Long Beach's Elevate '28 Infrastructure Investment Plan, which includes projects the city is advancing ahead of the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games and other longer-term infrastructure investments.

Construction is scheduled to start in early 2027 and be completed in early 2028. Before that work begins, residents and businesses will have an opportunity to hear directly from the project team on Tuesday. The Anaheim Street Corridor Improvement Project community meeting is scheduled from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at MacArthur Park Community Center, 1321 E. Anaheim St.

More information about the planned improvements, construction timeline and project area is available on the city's Anaheim Street Corridor Improvement Project page.