Residents Concerned About Adequate Storm Drainage on Admiralty

A handful of residents that attended a Public Works Department meeting at Burton Chace Park on Tuesday told engineers and planners they feared the department was not doing enough to alleviate flooding on Admiralty Way during rainstorms.

The scope of the meeting was to discuss updates on the resurfacing work on Admiralty Way that should be completed by Thanksgiving, according to planners. Due to the “roller-coaster ride” on the street, planners are digging down 28 inches from the road surface to ensure a rigid foundation to prevent future shifting. And, they are using an avant-garde asphalt and cement mixture to reduce costs, project time, environmental impacts and avert future pavement movement.

Engineers will slope Admiralty Way to funnel storm water to the curb and then to two catch basins that are located by Palawan Way and the library. However, residents at the meeting didn’t think this method will be enough to prevent water from pooling in the roadway.

“We should put a weight limit on the road as trucks damage the road,” said resident Nate Holden. 

He also suggested that the county add a third storm water catch basin near the Marina City Club, but engineers said that the permit process alone for such a project would require several months, and necessitate an extensive environmental impact report.

Engineers said that the asphalt bending is the major cause of stagnating water. And they think the road sloping, combined with a stable surface and the asphalt and cement mix, will not cause the ground to sink as it has over the last few decades.

“It wasn’t contemplated back in the 1960s that the road would subside, and we’re trying to mitigate that now,” said Pamela Manning, DPW business relations representative. 

DPW said that the ficus trees’ roots have also damaged the road, and they will be replaced with smaller trees and lighting along the three medians.

The resurfacing project is being implement in three phases. Currently in Phase I, which requires eastbound motorists to merge onto the westbound lane will last until next week. By early October, the road detour will force westbound drivers onto the eastbound lane, and a u-turn will be allowed at Palawan Way. The last phase of the project, which is expected to last from early November until Thanksgiving, when workers will be restoring the median, will impact drivers from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.  

Manning said that DPW has been and is soliciting feedback from businesses and residents and it wants to capture “ideas and comments from the community.”

To relay any comments regarding the Admiralty Way project, please contact  Brittany Barker, DPW program coordinator, at bbarker@dpw.lacounty.gov or 626-458-4971.

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