The Endeavour on the move early this morning. Photo by Juan Ocampo for Metro.

View Mission 26: The Big Endeavour in a larger map

The space shuttle is currently parked in a lot at La Tijera and Sepulveda and is scheduled to be underway again within a couple of hours. It’s basically the big transportation story of the next couple of days and I know many of you, including yours truly, will be heading out to see the shuttle. As neat as it was to see it in the air last month, this is much more unique — there are few chances in life to see a space shuttle roll down a Southland boulevard in front of a McDonald’s.

As you’ve surely heard, access to much of the route will be tight because of safety concerns. It’s going to be a tight squeeze for the shuttle on some streets. I followed the shuttle’s route on Crenshaw Boulevard earlier this week and it’s certainly going to be interesting. Yes, it’s a big and wide street — but big spacecraft wide? We’ll soon see!

The above map from the California Science Center — the shuttle’s soon-to-be permanent home — shows the viewing areas available to the public the next couple of days. The area all around Exposition Boulevard is, of course, easily accessed by the new Expo Line. Also, the viewing area at Crenshaw and Martin Luther King Boulevard is about a mile walk south from the Expo Line’s Crenshaw station (a very short and flat bike ride). Keep in mind that the bus lines that normally run on Crenshaw will be detoured and running on Western Avenue (more below on detours).

Also, from our earlier post:

Expo Park will be the only mass viewing area for the shuttle. Endeavour fans should gather around 8 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 13 along Bill Robertson Lane. And make sure to ride the Expo Line there as no cars will be allowed into the park. Both the Expo/Vermont Station and Expo Park/USC Station will drop you off a short walk from the official shuttle route.

The Expo Line will run at 6 minute headways from 2 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Saturday, and the Red, Purple and Gold lines will also run enhanced service. To make the trip easier on yourself, load up your TAP card before Endeavour starts to move. For more information on TAP cards — Metro’s re-usable fare cards — please click here.

After the jump is a list of bus detours in effect for the next two days.

Note:  All times below are approximations. LADOT and law enforcement have authority over actual street closure and reopening times. Passengers should expect significant delays on all bus lines operating in the affected areas, including lines that are not on detour but have to cross the Endeavour route at LADOT crossing points (204, 206, 207, 754, 757).  Passengers are encouraged to ride the Expo Line to minimize delays.

Line 111 will detour via Century between La Brea and Western from the beginning of service on Friday, October 12 until approximately 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 13.

Line 115 will detour via Arbor Vitae and Century between Lincoln and Van Ness from the beginning of service on Friday, October 12 until approximately 12:00 noon on Saturday, October 13.

Lines 210 and 710 will detour via Western between Century and Rodeo from approximately 10:00 a.m. on Friday, October 12 through 5:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 13.  Line 710 will terminate at Jefferson/10th Ave. and will not make stops on Crenshaw at Jefferson or Rodeo.

Lines 40 and 740 will detour via Western between the Inglewood Transit Center and Vernon, and via Vernon between Western and Broadway from approximately 10:00 a.m. through 9:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 13.

Line 102 will detour via Exposition, Buckingham, Santa Rosalia and Stocker between Western and La Tijera, and will use the 405 Freeway to cross Manchester from approximately 10:00 a.m. through 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 13.

Line 105 will detour via Rodeo/Exposition between Western and Crenshaw and make regular stops on MLK east of Marlton from approximately 10:00 a.m. through 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 13.

Line 108 will detour via Rodeo/Exposition between Overhill and Western from approximately 10:00 a.m. through 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 13.

Line 110 will detour via Slauson, Overhill, and Rodeo/Exposition between La Brea and Western from approximately 10:00 a.m. through 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 13.

Lines 211 and 215 will shortline south of Manchester from the beginning of service until approximately 12:00 noon on Saturday, October 13.

Line 212 will detour between Centinela and Century, using the 405 Freeway to cross Manchester from the beginning of service until approximately 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, October 13.