Carson, CA — For nearly 50 years, drivers on M.L.K. Jr. Street have braced for a ride. On Wednesday, city leaders gathered beside the rolling roadway near Victoria Community Regional Park to break ground on a project meant to make it smooth for good.

The City of Carson is launching a project to reconstruct, level and stabilize the stretch of M.L.K. Jr. Street between Avalon Boulevard and Main Street. According to the city, the road’s uneven surface comes from the gradual settling and shifting of a former landfill site directly beneath it. Officials said engineering and environmental remediation technology only recently advanced enough to make a long-term structural fix possible.

Mayor Lula Davis-Holmes said the condition of the street had not lived up to the man it honors. The city says it is the only roadway in Carson named after a major national civil rights leader.

“The street was forgotten for over 50 years,” Davis-Holmes said. She said past crews patched the surface without properly compacting the soil. She added that, unlike some cities where streets bearing King’s name have been left blighted, “we don’t want that here in the city of Carson.”

Council members described years of complaints from residents, visitors and business owners. They also described repeated promises that went unfulfilled. District 2’s Councilmember, Jim Dear said that under previous city managers, the best the council could get was signs warning drivers of a rough road ahead. The push gained urgency, he said, after a motorcyclist reported nearly going off the edge at a sharp elevation change near Main Street.

“This street is the worst street in the city,” he said, crediting City Manager David C. Roberts Jr. and city staff with moving the repair forward.

Councilmember Jawane Hilton, whose District 1 includes the roadway, said a street carrying King’s name comes with a responsibility to maintain high standards for the youth and families who travel this corridor each and every day.

“We’ve had a number of people promise that this road will be fixed,” Hilton said. “Today’s the day.”

Councilmember Arleen Bocatija Rojas said a smooth, stable road will mean safer commutes for school buses, emergency responders and everyday drivers. She also thanked residents for their patience.

Not everyone was entirely ready to say goodbye. Mayor Pro Tem Cedric Hicks recalled that, growing up, the street was where his father tested the suspension on a new Cadillac. He said that with the repairs, the city will finally give the street the dignity its name deserves.

Public Works Director Dr. Arlington Rodgers Jr. said he learned about the road firsthand on his first day with the city, while touring it with Roberts.

“After I tore off my muffler, I realized that this needed to be done,” Rodgers said.

Rodgers said past fixes mostly involved adding layers of asphalt to keep the road as level as possible. He credited City Engineer Gilbert Marquez with finding a more durable alternative.

“I challenged everyone on the team to think creatively and look beyond the temporary measures that were used in the past,” Rodgers said.

The new work is expected to improve safety and access to Victoria Community Regional Park, which is heavily used for youth sports and community programs. Roberts said the city will also set up a routine maintenance schedule so the new road doesn’t fall back into disrepair.

Public Works Commissioner Brandon Fields, a Carson resident for 39 years, said he was in the city when the street was named in King’s honor.

“Today marks a new chapter for the city,” Fields said. Then he added, “My favorite roller coaster will be no more.”

The Carson Compass will continue to follow the M.L.K. Jr. Street project and report on its progress, including construction timelines and any road closures.