Construction continues at the Wilshire/La Cienega subway station, the end of the first phase of the project. (photo by Edwin Folven)

Transit riders will have to wait longer for the opening of the Metro Purple Line Extension’s segment from Wilshire/Western to Wilshire/La Cienega, which is expected to open in 2025 rather than the previously announced 2024.

The change in opening date was met with surprise by Greg Goldin, president of the Miracle Mile Residential Association. He said he was unaware completion is now scheduled for 2025, and added that the project has caused years of negative impacts on residents including noise, dirt and traffic congestion.

“The last thing I heard it was it was going to be 2024, but they’re not making any big announcements about this. To my knowledge, and obviously I can’t speak for everybody, this is the first we’ve heard about it being pushed back to 2025. We were not made aware of this. Our neighborhood is suffering the brunt of construction impacts. We have had to live with this for many years. The thought of us living with this through all of 2024 and an unknown point in 2025 is not welcome news.”

The need for change was reported by Metro staff to the Metro Board of Directors in July, Metro spokesman Dave Sotero said. Metro’s Purple Line project website was changed on Oct. 31 to reflect the 2025 opening, Sotero added.

The first phase of the new Purple Line, or D Line, is being built by contractor Skanska Traylor Shea. Sotero said the change in timeline was necessitated by “challenges” that were encountered during construction. The first phase of the project is currently 89% complete, he said.

“Metro has successfully overcome several significant technical challenges on section one, all of which cumulatively required Metro to revise its forecasted schedule.  Tunneling, for example, was conducted in extremely challenging geologic conditions that included subsurface gases like methane and hydrogen sulfide as well as tar sands in the vicinity of the La Brea Tar Pits. The presence of these soils previously prevented tunning in the area for more than 20 years until advanced tunneling methods and machines were developed,” Sotero said in a statement. “Metro also overcame man-made obstacles, including avoiding unmapped, abandoned oil wells along the alignment. What’s more, Metro had to remove metal objects in the path of both subway tunnels at Wilshire/San Vicente that would have potentially damaged the [tunnel boring machines] if they struck the object. Fortunately, these ‘anomalies’ were safely removed with no injuries to work crews or major impacts to street-level traffic. The project also experienced disruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic and record rains in the fall of 2022. Metro’s Program Management team first apprised the board of the revised completion schedule in J­uly of 2023. Metro has provided its board with regular project schedule updates every month since the start of construction.”

Sotero said no exact timeline for a 2025 opening to La Cienega Boulevard has been set. The second phase of the Purple Line Extension through Beverly Hills to Century City is still on track for completion in 2025, and the third phase to the Westwood/VA Hospital station is scheduled to open in 2027.

The Metro Board increased the budget for section one of the project in 2021 from approximately $2.9 billion to approximately $3.1 billion. The change in the completion date has not changed the budget.

Sotero said temporary decking removal is complete at the Wilshire/La Brea, Wilshire/Fairfax and Wilshire/La Cienega stations, reducing impacts on street traffic. A majority of the track has also been installed in the tunnels, he said.

“Metro’s contractor is finishing up heavy civil construction. We have started street restorations on the surface. Our remaining construction work will be architectural, electrical, mechanical and systems installation in both the stations and in the tunnels.  Testing of these systems will soon follow,” Sotero said.

Goldin said the end of subway construction can’t come soon enough.

“We are disheartened and frankly, disappointed,” he added.