Traffic Test to Squeeze Lanes in Corona del Mar

Beginning this week a traffic test -- that may help determine into Corona del Mar-- will be underway on East Coast Highway, a city official reported.

The temporary project will be conducted on East Coast Highway near MacArthur Boulevard and will run through early Fall, according to Tara Finnigan, city spokeswoman. The details include eliminating one southbound traffic lane on Coast Highway through the intersection of MacArthur Boulevard and studying how the traffic flow is affected.

"There will be a transition in the southbound direction from three lanes at Avocado Avenue to two lanes at Begonia Avenue," Finnigan said in a released statement. "The roadway will then consist of two lanes south of Begonia Avenue.

Throughout the project period there will a loss of eight, on-street parking spaces between Begonia Avenue and Carnation Avenue. Temporary traffic control devices will be installed to make motorists aware of the project including orange “stick-down” delineators, edge-line striping and advance signing for the lane reduction.

The lane reduction trial project is being paid for by the Corona del Mar Business Improvement District, which supports a proposed plan for entryway improvements into CDM that calls for eliminating a traffic lane and nine street parking spaces on Coast Highway to create space for more landscaping and widened sidewalks. The proposed changes are intended to make the entry into the village more pedestrian friendly and more aesthetically pleasing, Finnigan said.

For more information about the traffic lane reduction test, send an email to  traffic@newportbeachca.gov or call 949-644-3344.