Motorists on Pacific Coast Highway may encounter more traffic during night drives through Newport Beach.
An $11 million pavement rehabilitation project on the highway began on Aug. 12 and will continue until mid-October, according to Caltrans.
Work will occur from 9:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. from Monday through Thursday, and 10:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m. on Friday.
Lane closures will occur during this time, although traffic advisory press releases note that at least one lane will be open.
Periodic closures of the 55 freeway on- and off-ramps will also occur throughout the project, according to Caltrans.
Additionally, there may be some loud noise due to the construction, according to traffic press releases.
Pavement rehabilitation process starts by removing the surface of the paved area – grinding down the existing pavement – and laying new “rubberized hot mix asphalt” (rHMA), or asphalt that incorporates recycled tires into the asphalt mix. The process also includes restriping of lanes.
“The pavement rehabilitation material process includes adding recycled tire rubber to the asphalt to modify the chemical and physical properties of the asphalt cement,” said Nathan Abler, Public Information Officer for Caltrans District 12. “The rubberized pavement provides a stable, homogeneous material. This creates a higher quality asphalt and provides a smoother ride.”
Pavement deteriorates over time due to vehicle use, along with exposure to sunlight, rainfall or chemicals that break down asphalt.
Aside from asphalt, the project has installed upgraded curb ramps that meet standards of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), modern electrical infrastructure and improved drainage systems.
Caltrans officials note that the intersection of Riverside Ave. and PCH has been significantly impacted by seasonal flooding.
“Prior to this project, extreme rainfall events flooded the northbound side of SR-1 (PCH) at Riverside Avenue, with water covering most of the right-turn lane,” said Abler. “This project installed a new drainage system, solving this flooding concern.”
“As far as Riverside Dr. and PCH, that is one of the low-lying areas of Newport Beach that experiences periodic flooding in the rainy season,” said John Pope, Public Information Manager for the City of Newport Beach. “Usually the flooding is not too disruptive as we schedule our maintenance crews to be out with pump trucks during rains to check for flooding and take action right away.”
“There are a handful of spots such as this where water tends to collect — our crews know where they are and pay special attention to those locations.”
This project is part of ongoing efforts by Caltrans to provide pavement rehabilitation and ADA improvements to the beach cities – with three other projects on PCH in Huntington Beach, Seal Beach and Laguna Beach.
Normally, Caltrans ceases work in the beach cities during the summer.
“The California Coastal Commission imposes a moratorium on construction projects in beach cities during the summer (Memorial Day to Labor Day) to reduce the impact on tourist activities,” said Abler.
“With overnight temperatures soon falling below minimum tolerances for the paving process, the City of Newport Beach and Caltrans coordinated a waiver of the moratorium so that the project can be completed before fall weather arrives.”
Although expected to finish mid-October, the work schedule is subject to change due to weather, construction issues, traffic incidents and availability of equipment or materials.
Erika Taylor is a Voice of OC Tracy Wood Reporting Fellow and photojournalist. You can find her on Instagram @camerakeepsrolling or email at etaylor@voiceofoc.org