Crews are preparing the street surface for pile installation at the future Wilshire/Rodeo subway station. (photo courtesy of Metro)

Metro is expediting piling after the Beverly Hills City Council approved a full closure of Wilshire Boulevard between Beverly and Crescent drives to complete more work at the future Wilshire/Rodeo station during the COVD-19 emergency.

The full closure will allow additional equipment to be used, which will help expedite the completion of piling and decking on the south side of Wilshire Boulevard. Metro anticipates the closure will be in place for up to three months. However, the street can be opened and reconfigured if requested by the city.

Construction work hours are 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. for drilling, and 9 to 11 p.m. for non-drilling activities. Hours may be adjusted for decking, which involves creating a street surface over the subway station box. Decking is anticipated to begin in May.

In addition to the full closure of Wilshire Boulevard, there will be partial and full lane closures in the intersection of Wilshire Boulevard and Beverly Drive. During the full closure, peak hour hauling restrictions have been lifted to allow hauling during morning and evening rush-hour periods.

South Canon and Reeves drives will remain closed at Wilshire Boulevard for the duration of the road closure. Metro buses on the 720/20 lines will be detoured to Burton Way and Santa Monica and Robertson boulevards.

Additional subway work in Beverly Hills involves the installation of dewatering wells and geotechnical instrumentation. The dewatering well system will help prepare the station box for future tunneling. Instruments are being installed in the area to monitor ground movement, settlement and other geological impacts.

Farther east, station construction, material deliveries and instrumentation are ongoing at Wilshire/La Cienega. Gale Drive will be intermittently closed at Wilshire Boulevard to support construction in the Gale staging yard. Work hours are Monday through Saturday, 4 a.m. to 6 p.m. Access to Gale Drive will be maintained from San Vicente Boulevard. The closure is a public safety measure due to high volumes of vehicles entering and exiting the property.

Near Wilshire/Crescent Heights and Wilshire/La Jolla, utility and tunnel investigation continues during off-peak hours from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., and 8 p.m. to 6 a.m., weekdays, and 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., weekends. One-and two-lane closures may be necessary along Wilshire Boulevard between San Diego Way and San Vicente Boulevard. Street restoration will also occur in that area during off-peak hours from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. to 6 a.m., weekdays, and 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., weekends.

Subway station construction, hauling and concrete pouring are ongoing near Wilshire/Fairfax. Ogden Drive will be closed intermittently at Wilshire Boulevard, Monday through Saturday. Orange Grove Avenue continues to be closed south of Wilshire Boulevard through June. The south sidewalk along Wilshire Boulevard between Orange Grove Avenue and Ogden Drive will remain closed for one year.

Tunneling support and street maintenance is ongoing near Wilshire/La Brea and a work zone in the center of Wilshire Boulevard just east of Sycamore Avenue. Hauling and deliveries to and from the La Brea staging yards are also ongoing. Work hours are 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. to 2 a.m., Monday through Saturday. Intermittent lane closures may be necessary between Highland Avenue and Detroit Street for construction support. Metro plans to keep the work zone in the center of Wilshire Boulevard near Sycamore Avenue open through April 25.

A work zone in the center of Wilshire Boulevard just west of Rimpau Boulevard will remain in place through September. Wilshire Boulevard has been reduced to two lanes in each direction between June Street and Muirfield Road. Concrete and material deliveries are anticipated to continue at the site in April.

Tunneling support and street maintenance are also ongoing ear Wilshire/Western. Work is occurring 24 hours at a staging yard just west of the intersection of Wilshire Boulevard and Western Avenue. Northbound Manhattan Place will be closed intermittently just north of Wilshire Boulevard, Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. Intermittent single-lane closures may also occur on Wilshire Boulevard between Western Avenue and Manhattan Place. Southbound Oxford Avenue will be reduced to a single lane through May 1, from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., and 9 p.m. to 6 a.m.

For questions and concerns, call the 24-hour project hotline at (213)922-6934, email the project team at purplelineext@metro.net, or visit metro.net.