PORT OF LOS ANGELES WINS ITS SECOND AWARD FOR HARBOR BOULEVARD & PLAZA PARK IMPROVEMENT PROJECT 

SAN PEDRO, Calif. – Dec. 12, 2018 – The American Public Works Association’s Southern California Chapter has named the Port of Los Angeles winner of the APWA Traffic, Mobility and Beautification B.E.S.T. Award for the Port’s recently completed Harbor Boulevard & Plaza Park improvement project.

Earlier this year, the same project won the Outstanding Roadway and Highway Project of the Year award given out by the Metropolitan Los Angeles Branch (MLAB) of the American Society of Civil Engineers.

“We’re very proud of the recognition and many accolades that the Harbor Boulevard project continues to receive,” said Tony Gioiello, the Port’s Deputy Director of Development.  “Reconfiguration of this major commuter gateway was an important step in the Port’s ongoing efforts to transform the LA Waterfront. It not only has greatly improved traffic flow and safety, but paves the way for the next phase of LA Waterfront improvements.” 

The Port’s Harbor Boulevard project involved realignment and reconfiguration of a three-street intersection at Harbor Boulevard, 7th Street and Miner Street in San Pedro, readying the busy LA Waterfront thoroughfare for the new San Pedro Public Market scheduled to open in 2020.  With new traffic signals, crosswalks and bike lanes among other enhancements, the reconfigured intersection also provides another point of connectivity to other LA Waterfront attractions like the World Cruise Center, Battleship IOWA and Los Angeles Maritime Museum.

Additional improvements were also made to the adjacent Plaza Park, which overlooks the Port’s Main Channel.  Enhancements included extensive slope re-grading, drought-tolerant landscaping, as well as a new lookout deck, decorative lighting and viewing benches. The park will also serve as a walkway linking downtown San Pedro and the future San Pedro Public Market.

The APWA Southern California Chapter’s B.E.S.T. (Building Excellence, Shaping Tomorrow) awards recognize public agencies for outstanding public works projects or programs demonstrating resourcefulness and imagination. Award categories include: creativity and innovation; buildings; drainage, water and wastewater; facilities; recreational and athletic facilities; storm water quality; traffic, mobility and beautification; and transportation.

The American Public Works Association is a not-for-profit, international organization of more than 29,000 members involved in the field of public works.  APWA serves its members by promoting professional excellence and public awareness through education, advocacy and the exchange of knowledge. APWA is headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri and has 63 chapters in North America. The APWA Southern California Chapter is one of nine in the state.

The Port of Los Angeles is America’s premier port and has a strong commitment to developing innovatively strategic and sustainable operations that benefit Southern California’s economy and quality of life. North America’s leading seaport by container volume and cargo value, the Port of Los Angeles facilitated $284 billion in trade during 2017. San Pedro Bay port complex operations and commerce facilitate one in nine jobs in the five-county Southern California region.