Carson is preparing to rebuild M.L.K. Jr. Street after 50 years of ground movement left the roadway uneven and dangerous. City officials marked the planned restoration with a groundbreaking ceremony on Wednesday, Oct. 28, although construction is scheduled to begin the following spring.
The street connects Main Street and Avalon Boulevard alongside Victoria Community Regional Park. Both the park and the road sit above a former landfill, where settling ground has created the rises and dips that earned the route its nickname, “rollercoaster road.” At the ceremony, Councilmember Jim Dear described the street’s condition as an embarrassment for Carson.
Public Works Director Arlington Rodgers said El Nino would delay the start of construction until spring, with reconstruction expected to be completed by the end of 2027. The city recently decided to redirect about $5 million in Senate Bill 1 funding, provided through the state’s Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017, toward restoring the street.
Previous attempts to address the problem were limited by the money available. For years, Carson could afford only to patch the pavement and post signs warning motorists about the rough roadway. The newly planned reconstruction will involve replacing the material beneath the asphalt rather than continuing those surface repairs.
The Public Works Department plans to excavate several feet down to the top of the landfill. Crews will then rebuild the road’s foundation with alternating layers of geogrid and base material before placing asphalt over it. Rodgers said the approach is expected to deliver a more durable repair, improve safety and access, and benefit residents and families whose children attend programs at the nearby facilities.
Councilmember Jawane Hilton also emphasized the significance of the street’s name. He said it is Carson’s only roadway named for a major national civic leader and that maintaining it should reflect the responsibility associated with honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., particularly for the young people and families who use the corridor.
Mayor Lula Davis-Holmes connected the restoration to her effort to establish Carson as the “jewel of the South Bay,” a description she introduced five years earlier. She recalled skepticism about how neighboring cities might respond to that branding, saying her focus was on serving Carson’s 98,000 residents.
Davis-Holmes said the street had been forgotten for more than 50 years. She also said Carson should avoid the blight found on streets bearing Martin Luther King Jr.’s name in some other cities, presenting the reconstruction as another step toward fulfilling the city’s ambitions.
