North Harbor Drive realignment project breaks ground

SAN DIEGO — Port and city of San Diego officials grabbed some shovels and helped celebrate the groundbreaking ceremony for the $3.9 million North Harbor Drive realignment project on Dec. 3.

The project located in the America’s Cup Harbor section of Point Loma, includes realigning and reconstructing approximately 1,600 linear feet of North Harbor Drive, including parking, bike lanes and driving lanes. These changed will make the portion of North Harbor Drive safer for pedestrians, cyclists and drivers.

City of San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer, San Diego Councilmember Lorie Zapf and Port Board Chairman Bob Nelson celebrated the beginning of the project with members of the Point Loma community.

“This project is going to create a beautiful gateway into Point Loma,” said Mayor Faulconer. “By preserving bike lanes and reconstructing parking to make it safer for cyclists, North Harbor Drive will be more accessible to everyone. We’ve brought everyone together to create an entrance that is worthy of the thriving Peninsula community, and I thank the Port District and neighborhood leaders for their partnership and leadership.”

Bicyclists will have an easier time getting around this portion of North Harbor Drive since the old parallel parking spots on the frontage road will be removed. The project also supports pedestrian and driver safety with a new, signalized traffic crossing and modifications to crosswalks and ramps to meet current Americans with Disabilities Act standards and to promote pedestrian access from the community to the bay front, according to the port.

It will convert an existing south-side frontage road into additional parking, with an increase of approximately 130 public parking spaces. It will also improve a parking lot located at 4975 North Harbor Drive with a new asphalt-concrete overlay and re-striped stalls. New median landscaping and LED street lighting are also included.

“This project is a collaboration between the port, local businesses, the city of San Diego and the community of Point Loma,” said Chairman Nelson. “The port has been planning this since 2002 as part of redevelopment plans for America’s Cup Harbor and the Shelter Island planning district. We wouldn’t be here today without the leadership of former port Commissioner Steve Cushman, and Mayor Faulconer, who worked on this for seven years as city Council member for the Point Loma area.”

The project will be constructed in phases to alleviate the impact on parking for nearby businesses and attractions. It will begin with replacing the existing parking on the frontage road and south curb parking areas of North Harbor Drive and replacing that with 270 new spaces. This portion of the project is anticipated to be completed by June 1, 2015.

After the new parking spaces on North Harbor Drive are constructed, the project will shift towards improving the street sections of North Harbor Drive.

The project contractor is Palm Engineering Construction Company, Inc. The project is anticipated to be completed in October 2015 and is funded by the Port’s Capital Improvement Program.