Balboa Island boardwalk, Wedge-area park latest pandemic closures for Newport Beach

Newport Beach will close the boardwalk ringing Balboa Island and the small park adjacent to the famed Wedge surfing spot to further reduce congestion in the days of physical distancing to control spread of the coronavirus.

The park — West Jetty View — will close Wednesday. The Balboa Island promenade will close Saturday. Both closures will remain in effect until further notice.

Beaches and other open park spaces remain open, although certain park amenities, such as playgrounds, are closed.

The city installed one-way signs to the Bayfront walkway on Balboa Island on March 27, but maintaining the recommended 6-foot personal buffers has still been challenging on the narrow walkway, the city said.

The scenic West Jetty View Park, at 2300 Channel Road at the tip of Balboa Peninsula near the Wedge and the harbor entrance, is also small, making distancing difficult, the city said. The park has a capacity of about 20 people, with a single picnic table and a few benches, according to the city.

Also this week, city crews will place additional signs, including electronic message boards, throughout Newport Beach to discourage any outdoor activities not permitted under the governor’s stay-at-home order.

Newport Beach has incrementally instituted several coronavirus-driven restrictions in recent weeks, including closures of tourist attractions such as the two ocean piers and the beach parking lots, weekend closures of the oceanfront boardwalk on the Balboa Peninsula, closure of the park-like overlooks in Corona del Mar, and a six-week moratorium on vacation rentals. It has also closed recreational amenities such as public playgrounds, fitness equipment, the dog park, sports courts and fields, vehicle access to Back Bay Drive and the Buck Gully hiking and cycling trail.

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