Largest street construction project in Grover Beach history now underway
GROVER BEACH, Calif. – The long-planned construction project to dramatically remake and revitalize West Grand Avenue in Grover Beach is now underway.
The West Grand Avenue Streetscape Project officially started last month and entered a significant phase on Monday that is resulting in a full two-block closure of the busy roadway from 5th Street to 7th Street.
"The West Grand Avenue Streetscape project is the single largest street project in our city's history," said Grover Beach City Manager Matt Bronson. "It's a $7 million project, half funded by the city through general fund dollars, gas tax funds and other sources, and half funded by the San Luis Obispo Council of Governments. The project began a few weeks ago and involves pavement repair, installation of a storm drain, installation of a landscaped center median, decorative crosswalks, pedestrian improvements that are designed to make this street a beautiful boulevard that is much better for locals and for visitors to our community."
As a result of the road closure, traffic this week is being rerouted through residential streets, Ramona Avenue on the east side of Grand Avenue and Rockaway on the westside.
"In effect, this really only adds 30 seconds to a minute of travel, so it's not detouring way off off the beaten track, but it is allowing the contractors to focus on their work at West Grand Avenue and 6th Street to get that work done safely," said Bronson. "They're also scheduled during the week so that it doesn't conflict with the weekend traffic, which picks up given summer vacation schedules."
To provide assistance to all of the businesses in Grover Beach that will impacted by the ongoing construction, the City of Grover Beach is rolling out a new incentive program beginning next week on Tuesday, June 25.
"The city is very focused on making sure our local businesses are supported during this project," said Bronson. "Businesses have access to their driveways during this closure, so we are allowing local traffic into driveways, but just no through traffic. To help support our businesses, the city is launching another Buy Local business incentive program starting next week. The program allows for people to spend $100 at local businesses and then get a gift card of $25 to a local business, so if people generate $100 of activity at West Grand Avenue, businesses between 9th Street and Highway 1, then they're able to get a gift card to a West Grand Avenue business as well. We're using city capital fund dollars to help support our businesses and encourage additional spending and investments on West Grand Avenue."
The entire West Grand Avenue Streetscape Project will run from 4th Street to 8th Street. The construction project is expected to last through the end of this year.
"The end result will be a West Grand Avenue section that we will all be very proud of as a community," said Bronson. "It really is fulfilling the community's vision around a vibrant West Grand Avenue corridor. We're we're so excited about this project, but we know that right now we have disruption. Right now we have construction impacts, and whenever you tear up the main street in our community, there are going to be impacts."
