CORONA DEL MAR TODAY

Traffic Study at Coast Highway, MacArthur to Begin Next Week

Newport Beach will begin implementing a traffic lane configuration on East Coast Highway at MacArthur Boulevard the week of June 25, city officials have announced in a statement.

The test will examine how traffic flow changes when the squeeze lane, where three lanes merge to two, is moved. The results could determine the fate of an entryway beautification project that has been considered since the early 1990s.

“There will be a transition in the southbound direction from three lanes at Avocado Avenue to two lanes at Begonia Avenue,” the city statement said. “The roadway will then consist of two lanes south of Begonia Avenue.”

The Corona del Mar Business Improvement District had agreed to pay for the trial project as part of its efforts to go forward with a beautification project that would widen sidewalks and add landscaping in the area. Nine parking spots would be eliminated but replaced elsewhere, officials have said.

“The changes are intended to make the entry to Corona del Mar more pedestrian friendly and more aesthetically pleasing,” the statement said.

A contractor will install temporary traffic control devices that will include 36-inch tall orange “stick-down” delineators, as well as striping and advance signage announcing the lane reduction.

“During the trial period, there will a loss of eight, on-street parking spaces between Begonia Avenue and Carnation Avenue,” the city statement said. Parking between Avocado and Begonia avenues will not be changed.

Read our earlier stories here, here and here.

For more information about the traffic lane reduction test call (949) 644-3344.