Subway station work has necessitated lane closures on Wilshire Boulevard between La Cienega on San Vicente boulevards. (photo by Edwin Folven)

Metro held an online meeting on May 5 to provide information about the Purple Line Extension subway project. Construction is occurring at many locations along the route and Metro is advising about lane closures and other work that may have an impact on traffic and surrounding communities.

Phase one of the project extends west from the current terminus at Wilshire/Western to Wilshire/La Cienega. It includes subway stations at La Brea and Fairfax avenues, as well as La Cienega Boulevard. Phase two runs from Wilshire/La Cienega to Century City and includes the Wilshire/Rodeo and Century City/Constellation stations.

At the eastern end of the project at Wilshire/Western, support for tunneling continues at a staging area near Wilshire Boulevard and Manhattan Place. Farther west, K-rail work zones will remain on Wilshire Boulevard near Rimpau and Plymouth boulevards at least through 2021. Wilshire Boulevard has been reduced to two lanes in each direction between June Street and Muirfield Road and Windsor and Plymouth boulevards. The work in the area supports concrete deliveries and cross-passage construction.

Near Wilshire/La Brea, station construction is anticipated to continue through mid-2022. Crews have begun construction of appendage structures, which are spaces that house vital station functions such as utility rooms and passageways. The work also includes exit and entrance construction.

Work is currently occurring in a construction zone along the north side of Wilshire Boulevard. Sycamore Avenue is closed between Wilshire Boulevard and an alley approximately 150 feet north. Metro is also planning to install a 62-foot-tall antenna for the station communications room near the southeast corner of Wilshire Boulevard and Sycamore Avenue. Work may necessitate weekend lane closures on Wilshire Boulevard at La Brea Avenue.

Construction is anticipated to continue through 2022 at the Wilshire/Fairfax station. Appendage structures housing vital systems are also being built at the site. Orange Grove Avenue will remain closed south of Wilshire Boulevard through January 2022, and the sidewalk along the south side of Wilshire Boulevard between Ogden Drive and Orange Grove Avenue will be intermittently closed to support the work.

Other station appendage work is occurring along the southwest corner of Wilshire Boulevard and Fairfax Avenue. Wilshire Boulevard will be reduced to two lanes in each direction between San Diego Way and Spaulding Avenue through early August.

At Wilshire/La Cienega, work on the subway station and appendages continues underground and in a staging area at Wilshire/La Cienega and Wilshire/Gale. Station construction is anticipated to continue through the fourth quarter of 2022. Wilshire Boulevard has been reduced to two lanes in each direction between La Cienega and San Vicente boulevards.

Later this month, westbound Wilshire Boulevard may be reduced to one lane daily from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. to facilitate work in the area. Gale Drive will be intermittently closed daily north of Wilshire Boulevard. Through May 14, the crosswalk and west sidewalk on Gale Drive will be closed.

Farther west at Wilshire/Rodeo, construction is ongoing at a future subway station. Excavation is nearing completion and tunneling will continue near the station through 2022. Through at least June 30, only two lanes will be open in each direction on Wilshire Boulevard between Beverly and Crescent drives from 10:45 a.m. to midnight, and one lane in each direction will be open from midnight to 10:45 a.m. Near the end of May, K-rails along Wilshire Boulevard may be removed in the area, but the lane closures will remain in place.

Metro will hold the next meeting on sections one and two of the Purple Line Extension project from Wilshire/Western to Century City on Wednesday, June 2, from noon to 1 p.m., via Zoom. To participate, visit zoom.us and use the webinar ID: 937 0548 5587, or call (888)788 0099.

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.