MARINA >> Abrams Drive on the north side of Imjin Parkway, as well as Imjin Road, are closed until late May as construction continues on the Imjin Parkway Widening and Roundabout Project. This week was also the beginning of the closure of the eastbound right turn lane at Imjin Parkway and Reservation Road as part of the work on the roadway.

The Imjin Parkway Widening and Roundabout Project is a two-year effort to widen and increase safety on a traffic artery for about 30,000 daily motorists moving between the Salinas area and the Monterey Peninsula. The project affects 1.7 miles of Imjin Parkway from Reservation Road to Imjin Road and will include the construction of four roundabouts and increase the stretch of roadway to four lanes, with completion estimated to be June 2026.

From now until May 23, daytime construction continues with work on half the roundabout, and the installation of pole foundations, conduit, irrigation and sidewalk at Abrams Drive on the north side, the complete grading of base rock for the south side of Imjin Parkway roadway section between Marina Heights Drive and the Shell station driveway, and continue grading and base rock for the south side of Imjin Parkway roadway section from the Preston Drive half roundabout to Reservation Road.

Work will also include the continued instillation of irrigation service lines and plant pits and the beginning of planting slopes along Imjin Parkway between Imjin Road and Abrams Drive, completing the half roundabout interior grading, installation of boulders, artwork foundations, curb and truck apron at Abrams Drive on the north side, and continued construction of the south side half roundabout at Marina Heights Drive.

Construction work will also see the paved first asphalt layer for the north side of Imjin Parkway roadway beginning east of Abrams Drive and ending west of Abrams Drive on the north side, with paving to include the roadway on Abrams Drive on the north side and the half roundabout at this location. This paving operation is currently scheduled for Tuesday, May 13. The first layer of asphalt will be paved at Imjin Road and the south roadway section of Imjin Parkway between Imjin Road toward Abrams Drive. This paving operation is currently scheduled for May 14. Environmental monitoring of contractor activities job wide will also continue.

Imjin Parkway night closure is tentatively scheduled for May 29 to shift traffic onto the new Imjin Parkway paving at Abrams Drive on the north side and to shift traffic onto the new half roundabout at Imjin Road. Work at that time will also see the first layer of asphalt paved on Imjin Parkway between the Christina Williams memorial and Reservation Road.

Traffic control is at an enforceable speed limit of 25 mph through the construction zone, while the recommended speed through the roundabouts during construction is 15 mph.

The Imjin Parkway project moved into phase two in early March with traffic now moving on the newly constructed north side of the parkway as work focuses on the south side on its way to project completion.

Once phase two is complete, phase three will be miscellaneous roadwork, including demolishing temporary paving, roadway paving and temporary striping, drainage utilities and lighting and grading.

Phase four will be final paving — top lift — and striping.

Upon completion, the Imjin Parkway Widening and Roundabout Project will add on-street buffered bike lanes, stormwater treatment areas, retaining walls and a sound wall.

The improvements aim to benefit commuters who travel through the corridor, as well as those who live along Imjin Parkway at Cal State Monterey Bay and the neighboring homes in Marina Heights, Sea Haven and Preston Park.

The city of Marina is the lead agency for the project, which is also the second regional Transportation Agency for Monterey County Measure X project to be built. Measure X was the November 2016 ballot measure approved by 67.7% of Monterey County voters for the Transportation Agency’s Transportation Safety and Investment Plan.

The Imjin Parkway Widening and Roundabout Project’s $40.5 million in funding sources include $2 million from Marina generated from development impact fees, around $18.2 million from Transportation Agency for Monterey County’s Measure X and about $20.2 million from California’s SB1 local partnership program.

To stay informed about the Imjin Parkway Widening and Roundabout Project, visit the project website at www.imjinparkway.com or call Edrie De Los Santos, city of Marina, at (831) 884-1212.