Westminster : City Council to Discuss Beach Boulevard Project

The Westminster City Council today becomes the first city council in the county to hold a public hearing on the proposed Beach Boulevard superstreet project, a plan that would convert the street into a 19-mile thoroughfare.

The project requires approval by the eight affected cities and the county Board of Supervisors, which will vote on it Jan. 28, an Orange County Transportation Commission spokesman said.

The plan was approved by the Orange County Transportation Commission on Dec. 9, and $4 million was allocated for it over the next two years.

The $24-million project includes the addition of two lanes to the street, coordinating traffic signals, widening intersections and additional bus turnouts, an area for buses to stop without blocking traffic.

Beach Boulevard is a densely packed expanse of fast-food outlets, shopping centers and filling stations that stretches from La Habra to Huntington Beach and serves as an access way for some of the county’s major tourist attractions, such as Knott’s Berry Farm. County traffic planners predict that by the year 2005, 14 of the boulevard’s 19 miles will be at or over capacity.