Palos Verdes Drive North & Dapplegray School Intersection Improvement Project Update

Project Update 10/29/26

Over the past two weeks, construction crews advanced several key elements of the north-side corridor improvements. Work focused on stripping the forms from the new concrete retaining wall, placing and compacting layered backfill behind the wall, and addressing minor concrete repairs. Along the roadway and multiuse path, workers excavated old street sections, conditioned and compacted the subgrade, poured asphalt on the west side of the intersection, and poured new curb transitions, rolled curbs, gutters, and traffic signal footings. Asphalt is scheduled for the west side multi-use pathway on October 29 and October 30. Crews also began setting safety railing and fencing along designated pathway segments, while project managers finalized change order approvals for irrigation and coordinated the structural inspection for the upcoming bus shelter installation.

Continued Traffic and Safety Measures

• Daily Sheriff's presence: Sheriff's deputies are maintaining a daily presence during morning drop-off and afternoon pick-up, unless called away to respond to other incidents.
• Additional Crossing Guard: In response to community input, the City has provided a second crossing guard coordinated through the Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District. The additional guard provides support during peak drop-off and pick-up times to assist the primary guard on the north side of Palos Verdes Drive North. This additional coverage will remain in place for the duration of the current construction staging.
• Increased Visibility: Construction fencing will be adjusted where feasible to provide increased visibility of crossing guards and pedestrians.

• Additional time between signal changes: An all-red interval has been added, providing a brief period when all directions have a red light. This will allow vehicles already in the intersection to clear before traffic from another direction receives a green light.
• Signal improvements: Vehicle detection loops (sensors embedded in the roadway that detect the presence of vehicles) have been activated, and signal timing has been adjusted to better respond to school traffic and keep vehicles moving along Palos Verdes Drive North.

What to Expect in the Next Three Weeks

Looking ahead to the next three weeks, weather permitting, construction will transition from earthwork and underground prep to paving, and structural assembly. In the coming days, crews will pour concrete curbs for the rear drainage gutter, install underground irrigation lines, pour bus shelter footings, and begin placing base asphalt layers, sidewalk surfaces, and cable railings. During the first week of November, work will focus on assembling the bus shelter framework, putting up decorative vinyl fencing, applying the final asphalt cap on the multiuse path, and starting the stone veneer masonry on the retaining wall face. By mid-to-late November, crews will finish the wall veneer and roof installation, leading up to the targeted November 21-22 of completion of the north side improvements and removal of existing traffic control and temporary pedestrian pathways on the north side of Palos Verdes Drive North.

The City will continue to provide biweekly updates to the community on Thursday by 5:00 p.m., with the next update on Thursday, November 12. Additional notices will be issued for time-sensitive information or significant developments.

Questions? Please email [email protected]