We all know that traffic (sadly) rules our existence in LA, and Metro wants to prepare the city for the coming impacts related to the construction of the Purple Line subway, which will go down our main thoroughfare, Wilshire Blvd. A new report, linked to on The Source, outlines some of what to expect. Most of what is stated is pretty obvious or esoteric, e.g., subway stations are constructed from above the ground and are 600-700 feet long and 60 feet wide; tunnels are dug underneath with huge tunnel boring machines munching on Earth. The first step in building a station involves protecting or relocating underground utilities, requiring temporary closures of streets that will usually be done at night or on weekends. "The next step in the process is to install concrete decking that will serve as the temporary street surface, allowing traffic to continue to flow while construction continues underneath." The installation of the decking--used on Hollywood Blvd. when the Red Line was built--will require temporary street closures, usually during off-peak hours. Metro says the work may require only closing a portion of the lanes (see left image), but in some instances the entire street may need to be closed for some period of time. "In some cases, communities may prefer to close the streets continuously to shorten the overall duration of this process." Hey Metro, this is the Westside--not bloody likely.
Here's the timeline:
"Construction timing for the Project is dependent upon how the funding package for the project comes together. Presuming that the environmental clearance process concludes in 2011 and funding is secured, final design and contractor selection processes would occur in 2012. It is likely that early utility relocation work and removal of paleontological resources (fossils) below Wilshire Bl in the vicinity of the La Brea Tar Pits could start sometime in 2012, with heavier construction starting on tunnels and stations in 2013. If funding is secured to build the 9-mile extension all at the same time, construction along the entire alignment to the Westwood/VA Hospital could potentially be completed by 2022. In this case, several pairs of TBMs would be used, tunneling various segments of tunnel at the same time, with work proceeding on all stations simultaneously. If the project must be built in phases, based on the adopted Metro Long Range Transportatation, the first phase would proceed west from the Wilshire/Western Station to approximately La Cienega and it could take until 2036 to complete subsequent construction phases to reach the Westwood/VA station."
· Construction Overview for Subway Extension [The Source]
· Wilshire Subway Archives [Curbed LA]
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