As one of San Gabriel’s busiest streets, Del Mar Avenue required significant attention with a PCI rating of 27 out of 100. Now, with the nearing completion of phase three of the Del Mar Avenue project, a portion of the street – from Norwood Place to Saxon Avenue – will feature new pavement among several other improvements.
“Del Mar Avenue is a major arterial street that required major reconstruction,” said Szeka Angela Cheng, Associate Civil Engineer for the city. Cheng serves as the project manager for the project formally known as the Del Mar Avenue Rehabilitation Project - Phase 3. Phase 2 (which stretches from Bencamp Street to Chestnut Avenue) of Del Mar Avenue is currently in the design phase, while phase 1 (which ran from Chestnut Avenue to Mission Road) was completed last year.
A new bus pad was constructed as part of phase 3 of the Del Mar Avenue project.
With construction beginning in late June, construction crews tore out the existing asphalt with the goal of completely reconstructing the roadway. However, upon excavation, they stumbled upon a concrete road that was constructed by Caltrans several decades ago. “When we removed the existing pavement, we found a concrete road underneath in the center of the road,” Cheng notes. “The 20-foot road had been paved over repeatedly over time.” Given the existing concrete foundation, construction crews decided to utilize this as a portion of the road’s base, reducing costs.
During construction, crews discovered a concrete road constructed by Caltrans over several decades ago.
In addition, the rehabilitation project also included new bicycle lanes, pedestrian ramps and a revamped bus pad. “We’ve added bike lanes that connect to Las Tunas Drive in an effort to encourage active transportation,” Cheng said. “In addition, we’ve upgraded the pedestrian ramps to ensure compliance with current ADA standards.”
A look at the new pavement, striping and bus pad along Del Mar Avenue from Norwood Place to Saxon Avenue,
To fund the project, the city went to the California Infrastructure and Economic Development Bank to secure a loan to fund the reconstruction of Del Mar Avenue from Mission Road to the I-10.
With the bulk of phase three finished, the city is now waiting for an inspection to conclude the project.