MARINA >> Westbound traffic on Imjin Parkway from Reservation Road to Preston Drive will be halted on Thursday beginning at 9 a.m., as part of the Imjin Parkway Widening and Roundabout Project. The closure is to expedite the activation of street lighting along Imjin Parkway with work that impacts the roadway at Preston and Marina Heights drives. Right turns out of Preston Drive will still be permitted. Work is anticipated to be completed by 1 p.m., and the roadway reopened to traffic.

Beginning at 1 p.m. that same day, a flagging operation at Marina Heights Drive to stop traffic for limited periods of time — up to 5 minutes — will affect traffic in both directions of travel, to allow work on the project that is expected to be complete by 3 p.m..

The Imjin Parkway Widening and Roundabout Project continues its phase two construction activities as it aims to have embankments and rough grading for roadways completed by the end of June as well as other goals.

The Imjin Parkway 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. It’s expected to be finished by next June.

Abrams Drive on the southside of Imjin Parkway is closed until early August, and one right turn lane on Imjin Parkway at Reservation Road remains closed. Access to the Christina Williams Memorial is by escort only due to the many construction activities for the south side of Imjin Parkway which is adjacent to the memorial. Contact Conner Schivo, Monterey Peninsula Engineering at 831-277-0137, or conner@MPE2000, or city of Marina, mmowery@cityofmarina.org, for access.

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.

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.

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.