Many moons ago a reader posed a question regarding the status of all that underground construction for the Gold Line extension running under Boyle Heights. Surely, the fancy new subway stations must be finished or close to being finished, right? Not really. Via an emailer who has seen the tunnel: "There wasn't much to see below ground, just lots and lots of cement, loud ventilation fans and temporary lighting - any random construction pic of the Red Line tunnels looks roughly the same, although the process for creating the concrete tunnel liner is completely new and improved (hooray technology). This project has ZERO detectable settling at street level and over 2 million work hours without a lost time injury to employees. Project engineers tell me that architectural finishes for the underground stations aren't scheduled for another six months. Now that the concrete has been poured for the station boxes and the tunnel liners are done, its all wiring, utilities and access work that's going on. No tracks down there yet, the more interesting stuff is still just what's going on above ground.
Steel toe boots are required for underground access, along with hard hats, safety goggles, and an emergency respirator." Good to know.
· Metro Gold Line Extension [Metro]
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