Inside the Regional Connector tunnels under Bunker Hill

A lot of the work on the Regional Connector project in Downtown Los Angeles happens underground, so it’s hard to keep track of just how much progress is happening without a little help. That’s where these new photos from Metro, seen via The Source, come in.

The photos show work on the tunnel between the Second and Hope station, near the Broad Museum, and Fourth and Flower, where the tunneling machine will pop out and be sent back to the beginning of the Regional Connector in Little Tokyo, so it can dig a second tunnel for the project.

So far, the tunneling machine, named Angeli, has dug 5,120 feet from the Second and Hope station, and only has about 700 more feet to go, says The Source.

Once complete, the 1.9-mile-long Regional Connector will link the Blue, Gold and Expo lines, allowing for a one-seat ride from Azusa to Long Beach, or from East LA to Santa Monica.

The connector will bring three new stations to Downtown, including one in Little Tokyo and one near Spring and Second streets. It’s expected to open in 2021.

• Fresh pics: first Regional Connector rail tunnel under Bunker Hill [The Source]