Long Beach officials broke ground Tuesday on a $65 million overhaul to over 5 miles of Studebaker Road, promising to make it safer, greener and more accessible ahead of the 2028 Olympics.
From Second Street to Carson Street, the project will bring resurfaced roads, a hundred planted trees, more than 2,000 shrubs and new sidewalks, traffic signals and bikeways to the thoroughfare that cuts through several of the city’s easternmost neighborhoods.
The project will bring concrete boarding islands at 24 bus stops and shaded shelters throughout. Flashing beacons will be set up outside Helen Keller Middle School and McBride High School.
Protected bike lanes will run in either direction along the course of the project. Officials said they are in talks with Caltrans to build a connection from Studebaker Road to the bike trail along the San Gabriel River.
Construction, set to start next month, will take about two years. A detour might be set up when roadwork advances to the Los Coyotes Diagonal and Studebaker intersection.
City officials said Tuesday that more information will come out ahead of any road closures or partial shutdowns, adding that while details are scant at the moment, at least one lane each way will stay open throughout.
“We’ll be coming back to the community to let them all know in advance, so they know and are aware of what those impacts will be, and what those detour routes are,” said acting public works director Josh Hickman.
Mayor Rex Richardson, addressing a crowd of several dozen community leaders, city employees, transportation officials and transit consultants at the site of work’s start, said the project will change “how we move, how we connect, how we experience Long Beach.”
At 5.9 miles, it’s the largest single street project in city history, he added, surpassing a similar overhaul along 3.2 miles of Artesia Boulevard that finished in May.
Officials lauded the roadway as the southern gateway to the city, the first impression for those entering from Lakewood or Seal Beach.
“I probably drive Studebaker every single time I’m home, so I know this street really well,” said Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Long Beach. “It is in desperate need of renovation and repair. So it’s really good to see this happening today.”
Funding came from a patchwork of 13 local, county, regional, state and federal sources.
“For years, residents have been asking for safer, smoother and more welcoming streets, and today, that vision is becoming a reality,” said 3rd District Councilmember Kristina Duggan.
Learn more and track project updates here.