Culver Boulevard Realignment and Urban Runoff and Stormwater Project

Construction started February 2020 and continued through May 2022.

Activities for each phase are described in Project Detail below.

• Phase 1 - February - March 2020
• Phase 2 - April 2020 -  January 2021
• Phase 3 - February - August 2021
• Phase 4 - October 2021 - May 2022

On January 28, 2019, the Culver City Council approved the final plans and specifications for the combined projects, the construction contract was awarded to Ortiz Enterprises Inc, and construction started February 2020.

Culver Boulevard Realignment Project

The Culver Boulevard Realignment Project continues the widening of Culver Blvd that was initiated by Caltrans in 2009 as part of the widening improvements to the 405 Freeway. The project will resolve traffic issues, improve pedestrian safety, and enhance aesthetics along the stretch of Culver Blvd between Elenda St on the east and Sepulveda Blvd on the west and includes installation of a new raised bikeway/pedestrian/landscaping median separating the eastbound and westbound lanes of traffic.

Urban Runoff Infiltration and Retention Project 

In order to comply with the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board’s Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System Permit (Order No R4-2012-0175) and the Enhanced Watershed Management Program Plan, the City will incorporate into the Realignment Project structural storm water Best Management Practices (BMP’s). These include infiltration galleries for groundwater recharge and retention basins to treat and reuse captured urban run-off to irrigate the local landscaping along the raised median. Additional BMPs, such as bio-swales and drywells, will also be included to address surface run-off from Culver Blvd.

The infiltration galleries and retention basins will be constructed under the raised median. There are two existing storm drains, 87-inch and 66-inch diameters, passing through the project site at Sepulveda Blvd and Harter Ave. These two storm drains will be the primary source of storm water and urban run-off. All storm water and urban run-off will be pre-treated using multiple treatment systems prior to entering the infiltration galleries or retention basins. The project site has the volume capacity to treat the first 1.1 inch of rain from approximately 344 acres. 

Pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) guidelines, an Initial Study(PDF, 1MB) (IS) determined that the project will not have a significant adverse impact on the environment with mitigation incorporated. A Mitigated Negative Declaration (MND) finding is appropriate.

The Initial Study and all the project documents are available for review through the links below.