Stormwater pipe replacement to shut down part of Alamitos Bay beach for months in 2024 • Long Beach Post News

A Los Angeles County construction project that will replace an above-ground storm discharge pipe near Horny Corner and upgrade its adjoining pump station could close a section of the beach for six months in 2024.

The Alamitos Bay Pump station improvement project is expected to start in late spring 2024 and last "less than six months," according to the LA County Public Works, which will be completing the improvements.

"Public Works recognizes work to rehabilitate the pump facility will affect the 2024 summer season at Alamitos Bay, but one summer inconvenience is offset by the decades of community protection this facility provides," Steven Frasher, a public information officer for the county, said in an email.

Frasher said the reason for starting in the spring is due to lead time on materials, but also because the stormwater pipe is needed during the wet season, so work is being scheduled to begin in a dryer part of the year.

Project documents approved by the county and City Council said work could be finished in about four months.

The station has been in service since 1966 and helps prevent flooding by pumping stormwater into the bay. The county is replacing the above-ground concrete discharge pipe with a new high-density polyethylene pipe, which will be buried under the sand.

Improvements to the pump station located south of the discharge pipe include roof repairs and mechanical and electrical work.

The construction area around the discharge pipe and pump station would be fenced off, and a vehicle access route for work crews would run along the sand from 54th Place to the work site.

Project documents also show that about 15 street parking spaces will be used for work crews and a staging area in the sand south of Ocean Boulevard would be used to hold materials.

Frasher said that the area where work is being done will be closed to boaters and swimmers but there will be clearly marked detours.

It's unclear how this project will affect neighboring businesses and a preschool that sits next to the project site. The fencing around the work site could cut off most of them from direct water access.

Gondola Getaway, the Leeway Sailing and Aquatics Center, Bayshore Co-op Preschool, a kayak rental store and the yet-to-open Grill Em’ All beach concession are all located along the perimeter of the work site.

Jason Ruiz covers City Hall and politics for the Long Beach Post. Reach him at [email protected] or @JasonRuiz_LB on Twitter.