Back in 1959 (and captured in the 1965 Freeway Plan), the California Department of Highways envisioned Route 2 running as a single Route between Route 1 (Pacific Coast Highway) and Route 138 (Pearblossom Highway). Much of this was envisioned to be a freeway, including the portion between I-405 and US 101 through Beverly Hills, and the portion over Angeles Crest Highway. Of course, we all know that the only freeway portion that was actually constructed was the Glendale Freeway, from just S of I-5 to I-210.
In Beverly Hills, the original plans were for a freeway along Pico (S of original Route 26), but this got moved southward and became the Santa Monica Freeway (I-10). This was opposed by the major business interests of the Beverly Hills; the rationale was that with a Santa Monica freeway running near the southern borders of the city, customers for Beverly Hills stores could more easily reach both the downtown Los Angeles and Santa Monica shopping districts, and the freeway could make the development of competing office buildings on the booming Westside more accessible. In the 1960s, the Beverly Hills City Council offered strong support for a freeway between the two Santa Monica Boulevards that would connect to the Hollywood Freeway on the east, and north and be a second link to the beach. However, this was too close to the pricy real estate just N of Santa Monica Blvd. It was also seen as a permanent divider between the north and south areas of the city. To resolve the issue, the Department of Highways proposed a “cut and cover” freeway. The problem was the cost of such construction, which was four times normal costs. The City Council could also not ensure it would be below ground. So, even though the route was on the books, the state could not give assurances of below-ground construction. The political realities were not lost on Anthony Beilenson, who made sure the Beverly Hills Freeway died a quiet demise in the assembly. The freeway was officially cancelled in 1975.
I wonder if now they are regretting that decision.
According to the Los Angeles Times, there is a $500M plan to rework the property that currently houses the iconic Beverly Hilton Hotel at the intersection of Wilshire Blvd and Santa Monica Blvd (former Route 2). The Beverly Hilton will remain. Added to the property, however, would be a Waldorf-Astoria hotel that would have 120 rooms, 30 privately owned condos and a fine-dining restaurant. A free-standing three-story wing of 50 rooms and a convention center would be added to the Beverly Hilton, which has a glitzy ballroom used for events such as the Golden Globes. There are also plans to build 252 condominiums next door to the Beverly Hilton at the site of the shuttered Robinsons-May department store (where my grandmother used to work). Many residents are upset about this, fearing traffic problems in the area.
Perhaps they should have built the freeway.
To help with the traffic, the developer has agreed to add traffic lanes to ease congestion. Specifically, the plan would add four traffic lanes: two on Santa Monica Boulevard, one on Wilshire Boulevard and one on Merv Griffin Way. Of course, this doesn’t address the added congestion in West Los Angeles and Century City. Toss into the mix the eight-story Montage Hotel — sister of the resort in Laguna Beach — being built less than a mile away, and the plans for another Wilshire project nestled between Saks Fifth Avenue and Barneys New York.
They should’a built the freeway.
Preservationists are also upset, because building the hotel will mean the closing of a venerable institution in Beverly Hills: Trader Vics. Trader Vics is an outpost of a chain of Polynesian-themed restaurants (think Tiki Gods and PuPu Platters) that has been there nigh-unto-forever (OK, since 1955). It is one of the few Polynesian restaurants left in LA, especially since Kelbos closed years ago and became a strip joint.
Of course, they couldn’t build the freeway today. One reason is that there is no more “Little Santa Monica Blvd”. That’s right. Construction has finally been completed on the project that removed the old Pacific Electric private-right-of-way median on Santa Monica Blvd, thus uniting “Big” and “Little” Santa Monica Blvds. Yet another piece of history lost.
