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Newport’s ocean piers are due $1.5M in standard maintenance

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The Newport Beach City Council will weigh a $1.5 million maintenance package for the city’s two piers.

Officials are scheduled to vote on a contract Tuesday for Gardena-based John S. Meek Co. to inspect and repair the timber support structures below the concrete decks of the historic Newport and Balboa piers.

The project breaks down to about $1.2 million for construction and $286,000 for contingency and consultant services. Workers will repair and install new wrapping on 88 piles, replace rusted and broken straps, bolts, plates and hangers, and treat the timber.

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If approved, work will begin this winter.

The city runs an every-other-year maintenance schedule on the piers, which are continually impacted by waves, tides and the generally corrosive marine environment.

City staff recommended the contingency funding be used for recent damages – such as the emergency repairs needed this week after high surf damaged pilings at the end of Balboa Pier – and any unforeseen issues that might arise in the coming winter.

Meek previously worked on the 2002 major overhaul of both piers.

Traffic topics

In other business, city traffic engineers will lead a study session discussion on encouraging through-drivers to bypass Corona del Mar by using Newport Coast Drive and the 73 tollway, and increasing use of Bluetooth technology to study and improve traffic flow citywide.

The Bluetooth item includes the potential purchase of a BlueTOAD traffic monitoring system to enhance the city’s traffic signal system. The BlueTOAD system would gather unique but anonymous “signature” data from Bluetooth-enabled devices, such as cell phones and hands-free devices in newer vehicles, to provide information on motorist travel times and routing information.

Equipment and software would cost about $119,000 and include 12 detection devices to be placed along the Balboa Peninsula, MacArthur Boulevard, Newport Coast Drive and Coast Highway. Caltrans already has BlueTOAD devices on Coast Highway.

In another traffic discussion during the study session, the council will review the results of the Balboa Peninsula crosswalk safety study. City staff, which has already shared the study at a town hall hosted by Councilwoman Diane Dixon and a meeting of the city’s Balboa Village Advisory Committee, suggests an overhaul of the tourist-heavy area’s crosswalks. Staff had planned to present the study results at the Oct. 10 Council meeting, but rescheduled after other discussion items ran long.

Tuesday’s meeting starts at 4 p.m. with the study session, followed by the regular session at 7 p.m. at City Hall, 100 Civic Center Drive.

hillary.davis@latimes.com

Twitter: @Daily_PilotHD

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