Photo by Steve Hymon/Metro.
I never noticed the old railroad crossing markings on Olympic Boulevard in Santa Monica until driving past this weekend. It really doesn’t matter: that’s the bridge that will take the second phase of the Expo Line over Olympic in the distance; the same bridge will also span Cloverfield Boulevard.
The second phase of the Expo Line will extend the line for 6.6 miles from its present terminus in Culver City to downtown Santa Monica. The project is mostly funded by the Measure R sales tax increase approved by Los Angeles County voters in 2008. The line is currently scheduled to open in 2016.
Categories: Projects
Thanks for posting this, Steve!
I live fairly close to Olympic-Cloverfield. A section of the original tracks, dating from the late 1870s, that were still present in the Olympic Blvd median were just recently removed for the construction of the bridge support. Those sections buried underneath Olympic Blvd will be permanently entombed under several layers of asphalt.
Skanska-Rados is wasting no time on Phase-II.
The bridge looks great!
Wouldn’t be surprised if Phase-II opens ahead of schedule.
Atheisticallyyours Well you are out of touch with the Project and the Progress being made out on the Right of Way and Line will be turned over to metro in 2015 and Open in 2015 or early 2016 is not sooner
2015 seemed too far in the distance with the progress they seem to be making.
6.6 miles is almost exactly half the north/south length of Manhattan island. It’s taking MTA a heck of a lot longer to build the 2nd Ave Subway for that distance than it’s taking Metro to build Expo 2!
6.6 miles? I didn’t realize its that short of a distance from the current terminus….it sure doesn’t feel like 6.6 miles when driving on the 10 to Santa Monica from Culver City (seems like a LOT more!)
First it was said it would open in 2015! Now “2016”! In 2016, it will be “estimated 2017”. Then the decade will change before it DOES open! THAT’S an MTA light-rail project for ya!