An upgrade to the Market Street corridor in North Long Beach, including improvements to pedestrian safety, is expected to start as soon as this fall, officials said.

The estimated $10 million project along Market Street, a main arterial road in the area, includes lane reductions and bike lanes on certain segments of the 2.2-mile thoroughfare, according to Public Works officials. Plans also call for updates to street lamps, sidewalks and crosswalks.

The street runs from east to west near the southern end of North Long Beach. It touches the Los Angeles River to the west and cuts across toward Lakewood to the east. Public Works officials created an interactive website showing where the lane reductions, bike paths and street updates will take place along the corridor.

Proposed lane reductions for sections of Market Street in North Long Beach. Courtesy photo Public Works.

The Market Street update is a component of a larger redevelopment plan taking place across North Long Beach called the Uptown Planning Land Use And Neighborhood Strategy, or UPLAN.

“Residents in my community are most concerned about improving the poor conditions of the street and safety,” said Councilman Al Austin, who represents the area. “This major project started with a request for traffic signals.”

Other North Long Beach arterial streets expected to be renovated include the Artesia Boulevard and Atlantic Avenue corridors farther north. The UPLAN undertaking was derived after a series of community outreach meetings in which residents said they wanted safer streets, among a slate of other quality-of-life improvements.

Recently, the City Council passed a zoning update for North Long Beach that would usher in a wave of development projects to include mixed-use buildings.

City officials are hosting a virtual workshop for the second phase of the UPLAN strategy at 11 a.m. Saturday. Residents who want to attend can click this link.