City crews have started tearing out damaged pavement at the southeast corner of Third Street Promenade and Wilshire Boulevard. The project repairs a northern entry point to the shopping corridor before holiday foot traffic arrives.
The work covers hexagon asphalt pavers, sidewalk, curb and gutter along the Promenade's east side, Westside Current reported Friday, Oct. 16. Tree roots and a previous water-line rupture caused the damage, according to the City of Santa Monica.
A black screen surrounds the work zone.
Shoppers walking south from Wilshire into the Promenade will see the screened-off construction area on the east side of the street. The city has not disclosed a cost estimate or a completion date for the repairs. The Westside Current report did not include a timeline for when the screen will come down or whether pedestrian access will be rerouted.
The paving work comes as the Promenade shows broader signs of renewed commercial interest. Todd Bursaw, a Westside dining news writer profiled by Santa Monica Sun in August, said downtown Santa Monica "has been struggling, but there's a big renewed push to bring in new places." Bursaw told the Sun that five or six new restaurants were planned around the Promenade.
He is also watching Main Street, where new names are beginning to fill long-empty storefronts, according to the August profile. Bursaw said he suspected a broad push across the Westside to revitalize commercial strips ahead of the Olympics.
The city has not announced whether additional paving sections along the Promenade are scheduled for repair or how long the Wilshire intersection work will take.
