Santa Monica Blvd. Reconstruction Begins

Business owner Bob Kashani will judge the success of a massive project combining “little” and “big” Santa Monica boulevards by a single criterion: timeliness.

Any longer than the 2 1/2 years the city anticipates to complete the $68-million face lift of the busy thoroughfare could bankrupt his business, says Kashani, who owns a 76 gas station at the corner of Santa Monica and Beverly Glen boulevards.

“We could survive the impact for a year,” Kashani said. “After that, it’ll be crucial for them to finish on time.”

On Friday, across the street from the fueling stop on the median parking lot, city officials broke ground to mark the start of construction on the 2 1/2-mile stretch of the boulevard between Beverly Hills and the San Diego Freeway.

When completed in 2005, the project is expected to ease congestion and beautify a corridor long described by Westside residents as cluttered and gritty.

The two parallel roads separated by an abandoned railroad right of way will be transformed into a “classic boulevard” lined with trees, a landscaped median, a bike path and a 20-mile bus route connecting downtown Los Angeles and Santa Monica.

The city’s largest street improvement project will eliminate double intersections and create three traffic lanes each on the westbound and eastbound roadway.

While describing the makeover as overdue and necessary, city officials, including Mayor James K. Hahn, asked Westside residents and business owners to be patient and understanding during construction.

Santa Monica Boulevard is “a dysfunctional and, frankly, ugly street,” said County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky. “This, at the end of the day, will be the best project for the residents.”

To minimize impact on the neighborhood, the project will be undertaken in six phrases so that all lanes on the boulevard will remain open during construction.

The first phrase will include work on the south- and northbound ramps to the San Diego Freeway and removal of railroad tracks, dirt and tires in the median.

As an incentive, the city has offered a $1-million bonus to the contractor, Excel Paving Co., if it finishes construction earlier than the anticipated 900 days, said Vitaly Troyan, an engineer with the city’s Department of Public Works.

But as the city moves forward with the project, residents and business owners can’t help but feel worried about the possible loss of revenue and commuters who may try to cut through residential streets to avoid the construction.

At the same time, residents acknowledged the city has listened to their concerns and worked to mitigate the impact on the neighborhood.

“The real challenge is making sure it turns out well,” said Bob Scott, a member of the Century-Westwood Neighborhood Watch. “It’ll take time to tell.”

The city has established a toll-free number with recorded construction information: (800) 913-8777.