If you need to drive through the Miracle Mile during the weekend this summer, beware and plan ahead. Wilshire Boulevard will be closed for 22 weekends starting tomorrow for Purple Line Extension construction.

Councilman David Ryu discusses detours ahead of the weekend closures of Wilshire Boulevard.
(photo by Gregory Cornfield)

“We ask the public’s patience,” said Metro board member Jacquelyn Dupont-Walker. “Bear with us, we plead, as we continue to build a world-class transportation system that the county so desperately needs and deserves.”

With cranes, excavators and construction machinery behind them, city and Metro officials last week officially announced that the 22 full-weekend closures of one of the city’s busiest corridors will begin Friday evening, June 10, to begin the decking process for the subway. Metro received final approval earlier this month for the detour routes and mitigation plans for the closures.

“Our message is simple. If you’re going to be traveling in the Miracle Mile area on the weekends between now and the fall of the year, you should plan ahead. Follow street detours and allow extra time to get through this area.” Dupont-Walker said.

Metro’s contractor Skanska-Traylor-Shea will excavate the street and replace it with concrete deck panels that will act as a temporary street surface or bridge while excavation continues underneath.

The 22 weekends are broken up into three sections. The first three-weekend closure will be from Detroit Street to La Brea Avenue. The second three-weekend closure will be at the La Brea intersection. The third 16-weekend phase will be from La Brea to Highland Avenue.

Each Friday at 10 a.m., Wilshire will be reduced to one lane in each direction. At 8 p.m., the full closure will begin. Crews will work nonstop for 58 hours until the roads open again at 6 a.m. on Mondays. Metro officials said the roads will not be closed on Fourth of July or Labor Day weekends. Each phase has corresponding sets of detour routes (detailed below), and traffic control officers and signage will help motorists navigate the area.

“Please note that I said this work will be performed on the weekends only. There will be no decking work during the weekdays when Wilshire Boulevard, infamous for its traffic, is at its peak,” Dupont-Walker added.

The 22-weekend closures plan was selected over an alternative that would have fully closed the section of Wilshire for seven consecutive weeks. But Councilman David Ryu, 4^th District, and Metro officials said a consensus among the community and business owners favored the weekend-only option.

(courtesy of Metro)

The next steps involve removing the earth within the area that will eventually become the station box. At the same time, shoring will be installed along the edges of the excavation to support the ground around the station. One of the final steps in the process will be removal of the decking and restoration of the street, which again can be done at night and on weekends and over a shorter period of time.

The La Brea station is the first major station construction for the first four-mile section of the $6.3 billion Metro project. Stations will also be constructed near Fairfax Avenue and La Cienega Boulevard before the extension continues to the second section through Beverly Hills and Century City. The third section will ultimately extend the subway to the VA Hospital by 2035.

“When this extension is completed the subway is going to be a great addition to our region’s transportation network,” Ryu said. “Los Angeles is growing and we need transportation options that are accessible for those who seek alternatives, and housing that is transit-oriented.

“L.A. County is expected to grow by another 2.5 million people by 2057,” Ryu added. “The Purple Line Extension will help address the challenges of growth, connectivity and sustainability.”

Metro’s CEO Phil Washington said the Purple Line project is part of the “largest and most ambitious public works project in the country today.”

“We’re building a world-class transportation system that will not only ease traffic, but will fundamentally change how we get around L.A. County,” he said.

For information or to give feedback, call (213)922-6934, email purplelineext@metro.net, or visit metro.net/purplelineext.

Phase 1 between Detroit Street and La Brea Avenue:

Westbound detour: Northbound La Brea Avenue to Westbound Sixth Street to Southbound Fairfax Avenue to Westbound Wilshire Boulevard. Eastbound detour: Northbound Fairfax Avenue to Eastbound Sixth Street to Southbound La Brea Avenue to Eastbound Wilshire Boulevard.

Phase 2 at the Wilshire and La Brea intersection

Wilshire detour: Wilshire Boulevard to northbound Highland Avenue to westbound Sixth Street to southbound Fairfax Avenue to westbound Wilshire Boulevard. Eastbound Wilshire detour: Eastbound Wilshire Boulevard to northbound Fairfax Avenue to eastbound Sixth Street to southbound Highland Avenue to eastbound Wilshire.

Phase 3 between La Brea and Highland Avenues

Eastbound detour: Northbound La Brea Avenue to Eastbound Sixth Street to Southbound Highland Avenue to Eastbound Wilshire Boulevard.  Westbound detour: Northbound Highland Avenue to Westbound Sixth Street to Southbound La Brea Avenue to Westbound Wilshire Boulevard.