A construction project slated to improve pedestrian access to a section of Shell Beach coastline broke ground Tuesday.
The project includes plans to build a sidewalk, add a new access staircase to a bluff, add benches and create a lookout point with a telescope.
Pismo Beach city officials expect the project to take about 13 months complete.
The new sidewalk will be built along five blocks of Ocean Blvd., from Vista del Mar to Capistrano Ave. Project planners say the sidewalk will provide a safer walking route while improving access to the beach.
"This is an opportunity for the city council to provide additional walking paths, additional beach access so the community and our visitors can enjoy what makes Pismo Beach such a gem in the community," Jorge Garcia, Assistant City Manager for Pismo Beach, told KSBY.
City officials say the project will build new bluff protection for a section of the cliff side that has been failing. The protection will include a built-in staircase to replace a staircase that closed three years ago.
Granite Construction has been contracted to take on the roughly $5.17 million project.
The project is partially funded by Federal Emergency Relief funding and insurance. The city's budget will cover the rest of the cost.
