[image id="9201" title="City rendering of how the new parking and driving configuration on Shoreline Blvd. will work when completed in Nov. 2014." class="size-medium wp-image-17180" width="300" height="206" ] City rendering of how the new parking and driving configuration on Shoreline Blvd. will work when completed in Nov. 2014.

SHORELINE DRIVE TO BE MADE SAFER FOR TOURISTS — Six lanes of Shoreline Blvd. is two lanes too many, say city engineers. Work will begin this week to knock those six lanes to four, slowing traffic where tourists flock and like to gawk. The Shoreline Boulevard Realignment project should be completed by Nov. 2014, says the city.

For the next 10 to 12 months, the southbound lanes on South Shoreline between Lawrence and Buford streets will be closed. Traffic will detour onto Water Street. Work on the northbound land will take up the remaining four months of the 14-month project.

Parallel parking along the beach will soon be a thing of the past. When construction begins, back-in angled parking along the road will be set up to allow access to the beach. The parking will still be free.

Another victim of the realignment will be the left turn lanes, which engineers say are not used much.

But while counting the losses, don't forget about the additions to come!

A 34-acre amusement area called Destination Park is slotted for some of that left-over space from the roadway. The park will include a pier, boardwalk and festival area. If the bonds needed to build the park are approved by voters this Nov., the park should be open and ready to draw more tourists to the area in 2016.

Just one more reason to make the Coastal Bend region your vacation destination!