Gardena public works previews Normandy railroad crossing closure, cites lessons from recent Western Avenue repair

Public Works Director Alan Rigg told the Gardena City Council on March 11 that the city completed a rapid repair of the Western Avenue railroad crossing in under 24 hours and will begin work on the Normandy Avenue crossing the weekend of March 14.

Rigg said the Western Avenue crossing work began Friday night and finished by about 7 p.m. Saturday, citing efficient traffic control and coordination with the railroad. “We were able to complete the Western Avenue crossing... in less than 24 hours,” Rigg said. He added the crew applied lessons from an earlier Artesia crossing to shorten closures and improve traffic control.

The city will close the Normandy Avenue railroad crossing starting about 10 p.m. the coming Friday for a multi-day operation. Rigg asked residents to avoid Normandy and follow posted detour signage at Artesia and Redondo Beach Boulevard. He said the city has detailed detours and that “all businesses, including the Mexican restaurant and the motorcycle shop, liquor store will all be open,” though access may be tougher.

Why it matters: railroad crossing repairs temporarily reroute traffic on arterial streets in a dense part of Gardena; shorter-than-expected closures reduce disruption, but motorists and nearby businesses should plan around detours during the Normandy work.

Council members asked technical and scheduling questions during the presentation; Rigg emphasized the city’s coordination with the railroad and traffic-control planning learned on prior projects. No formal council action was required; the item was a staff presentation and advisory update.

The city manager and public works staff said they will publish detour maps and notices on the city website and encourage residents to use alternate routes while work proceeds.