The LA Metro D Line Extension is a success!
On April 2, the LA Metro D Line Extension Project officially completed tunneling which will connect West Los Angeles along with downtown Los Angeles. In one of the nation’s and the L.A. region’s densest and most geologically demanding metropolitan corridors, this significant construction milestone was reached.
“This safe completion of tunneling through this part of Los Angeles is a milestone in Metro’s work to expand fast and reliable public transit across the region,” said Karen Bass, Metro Board Chair and Los Angeles City Mayor. “When completed, the D Line extension will make Metro transit available to 53,300 more weekday riders traveling between Downtown Los Angeles and the Westside. Thank you to all of the construction workers who have given their time and talent to successfully complete the tunneling.”
Following the tunnel’s completion, Tutor-Perini/O&G and Skanska-Traylor-Shea, two of the LA Metro D Line Extension Project contractors, will continue to collaborate to build seven new stations underground. The stations will be located in Section 1 between Wilshire/Western and Wilshire/La Cienega, Section 2 between Wilshire/La Cienega and Century City, and Section 3 between Century City and Westwood.
To help finish the LA Metro D Line Extension’s tunneling, contractors used the newest tunnel boring machine technology to drill between 40 and 60 feet every day. The closed face pressurized TBM technology reduces ground settlement during excavation. In order to eliminate dangers associated with water and gas, the machines also lined the tunnel itself with precast concrete segments that were fastened together to form secure rings.
“The D Line Subway Extension is one of the most complex engineering feats that Metro has undertaken,” stated Lindsey Horvath, Metro Board Member and Chair of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors. “Its complexity is matched by the immense value the project will bring to Los Angeles when it opens and carries 30,000 daily riders through one of our densest and most job-rich regions.”
“Now that tunneling is complete, it won’t be long before Metro completes this mega-project and makes it possible for everyone to travel from downtown L.A. to West L.A. in under 30 minutes,” said Katy Yaroslavsky, Metro Board Member and LA City Council Member. “This subway extension will catalyze ridership on the entire Metro System in the years ahead, bringing many thousands of new riders throughout Metro’s transit system.”
The LA Metro D Line Extension Project was able to obtain local funding through voter-approved transportation sales tax measures, Measure R (2008) and Measure M (2016). The government money eventually equaled these local funding sources, making up around half of the project’s total cost. Expected openings are for Section 1 in 2025, Section 2 in 2026, and Section 3 in 2027.
“The end of tunneling work on this project is a triumph of engineering, planning and execution,” said Stephanie Wiggins, Metro CEO. “Our construction team undertook a painstaking process that helped us keep everyone in these communities safe and deliver a better project for the people of L.A. County. We have proven yet again our capability to safely tunnel underneath a range of different structures as well as sensitive and historic sites.”