Contract awarded for Superior Avenue bridge, Sunset View Park parking lot in Newport Beach
Construction will begin as early as next month on the expansion of access to Sunset Ridge Park, following approvals of a $10.5-million contract between the city of Newport Beach and Reyes Construction, Inc.
Conceptual plans for the project were approved in 2019. The project will add 65 parking spaces and a pedestrian bridge that spans Superior Avenue, allowing the connection of Sunset View Park to its larger sister park, Sunset Ridge Park.
Sunset Ridge Park opened in 2014, but is underutilized as the 13.5-acre park lacks onsite parking. Permitting constraints from the state Coastal Commission prevented the construction of a parking lot at the park.
Sunset View includes a 64-space parking lot that’s used by its visitors as well as beachgoers.
Pedestrians regularly cross Superior Avenue, which curves and has four travel and three turn lanes that connect to Pacific Coast Highway. According to traffic studies made a few years ago, the Superior-Coast intersection was seeing 48,000 vehicles daily on Coast Highway and 21,000 to 24,000 on the Superior-Balboa Boulevard legs.
The studies also recorded a daily count of 600 pedestrians — 470 of whom crossed Coast Highway — and 90 cyclists, almost half of whom crossed the highway.
Thus, the bridge and the additions to Sunset View’s parking lot, built by Caltrans in 1989, to expand access to Sunset Ridge Park.
Senior civil engineer Andy Tran noted Sunset View’s passive park area will also be expanded as part of this project.
The project, carrying a total estimated cost of $14.7 million, is expected to be completed in May 2024. The costs includes planning, the construction contract and a contingency. Public works director Dave Webb noted the project has been in the pipeline for a while and costs are higher because of inflation and supply chain issues.
Councilman Brad Avery said he sees multiple benefits to the project and considers it forward-looking.
“The Banning Ranch will happen and this will be a really good access point to reach Banning Ranch,” Avery said. “We’re taking care of a lot of things here and I think a line item of each benefit, what it’s going to mean to our residents.”
Avery said the bridge would not only benefit the safety and access of pedestrians, but that it would also improve traffic in the summer.
“I tend to be positive about projects because when you look back almost invariably five years, 10 years; you go, ‘Wow, it’s a good thing we did that then because of what it would entail now.’ Not only just cost, but permitting and life just gets more complicated. I think we have the money,” said Avery.
“There’s a lot of grant money here and I believe we should strike on this and look toward a future that’s going to be much better in this particular area for multiple reasons for residents that want access to the beach, sport parks and Banning Ranch,” he added.
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