Nov. 6 update: the work was originally scheduled for late October and has been rescheduled for this weekend beginning at 9 p.m. tonight.

Metro’s contractor is planning to do some advance work at Wilshire and La Brea to get ready for soldier pile installation for the Purple Line Extension‘s underground station at the intersection. The pile installation — piles support the walls of the station — is scheduled to happen in November.

The Purple Line Extension will add nine miles of track to the subway from the current Wilshire/Western Station to the VA Hospital in Westwood. The project is being built in three phases. The first segment — the one currently under construction — will extend the subway to Beverly Hills with stations at Wilshire/La Brea, Wilshire/Fairfax and Wilshire/La Cienega. The project is funded by the Measure R half-cent sales tax approved by L.A. County voters in 2008 and federal grants.

Here is the updated construction notice: 

Summary

In preparation for pile installation work in November, the contractor will be installing k-rail (concrete barriers) and fencing around the north three lanes of Wilshire between Mansfield and Detroit St beginning 9pm Friday, November 6th until 6am Monday, November 9th.

Work will consist of street restriping, traffic signal reconfiguration and installation of k-rail and fencing.  Parking will be removed on Wilshire from Mansfield to Detroit.

This operation will reduce Wilshire Blvd to two lanes in each direction from Highland to Cloverdale. Reduced lanes will be in place for the duration of pile installation activities, which is anticipated to last 6-8 months.

Traffic delays are anticipated for the first few days. Traffic Control Officers (TCOs) will be on hand at major and arterial intersections.

Essentials

DATE: Friday, November 6th thru Monday, November 9th

TIME: 9pm Friday, November 6th until 6am Monday, November 9th

WHERE: North three lanes on Wilshire Blvd. between Mansfield and Detroit, excluding intersections.

WHAT: Traffic reconfiguration, k-rail (concrete barriers), and fencing installation.

Noteworthy

Traffic delays are anticipated for the first few days. Traffic Control Officers (TCOs) will be on hand at major and arterial intersections.

What to Expect

• All work has received necessary permits and approvals.
• Access for pedestrians will be maintained outside of the construction zone.
• Access for emergency responders will be maintained
• Construction may result in changes to bus routes and stop locations. Metro will post signs at affected stops to advise riders of alternative boarding locations. Real-time information will be available at metro.net/service/advisories or 323.gometro.

And here is the original news release describing the work:

Metro Purple Line Extension Contractor to Reconfigure A Portion of Wilshire Boulevard October 23-26 to Prepare Street for Major Pile Installation Work at Wilshire/La Brea

In preparation for the first major station construction work for the Metro Purple Line Extension Project, the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) plans to reconfigure a portion of Wilshire Boulevard in Los Angeles’ Miracle Mile area October 23-26 in order to begin building the future Wilshire/La Brea subway station.

Metro’s contractor Skanska, Traylor, Shea will be installing k-rail and fencing around the north three lanes of Wilshire Boulevard between Mansfield Avenue and Detroit Street beginning at 9 p.m. Friday, October 23 until 6 a.m. Monday, October 26.  Work will consist of street re-striping, traffic signal reconfiguration and installation of k-rail and fencing. Parking also will be removed on Wilshire Boulevard between Mansfield Avenue and Detroit Street.

The operation will reduce Wilshire Boulevard from three lanes in each direction to two lanes in each direction from Highland Avenue to Cloverdale Avenue, a distance of approximately five city blocks. Reduced lanes will be in place for the duration of soldier pile installation work needed to create a station box perimeter that is now scheduled to commence in November 2015.

Traffic delays are anticipated for the first few days or until the new traffic pattern normalizes. The peak- hour dedicated lane for Metro Rapid Line 720 will be eliminated, requiring buses to merge into regular traffic lanes during this period. The Los Angeles Department of Transportation will deploy traffic control officers at major and ancillary intersections at the beginning of the operation to help motorists adjust to the new configuration.

All work has received necessary permits and approvals.  Access for pedestrians will be maintained outside of the construction zone.  Access for emergency responders will be maintained.  Construction may result in changes to bus stop locations. Metro will post signs at affected stops to notify bus passengers about alternative boarding locations. Real-time information will be made available at metro.net/service/advisories or by calling 323.GOMETRO.

November’s soldier pile installation work will consist of drilling 95-foot holes into the streets along the perimeter of the Wilshire/La Brea station box, the first subway station to be built as part of the subway extension project. A total of 390 soldier piles will be installed at a rate of 1-2 piles per day, and work will last approximately six to eight months. Work will occur behind concrete barriers which provide a safety barricade between the installation work and adjacent traffic. Exact start dates for the soldier pile operation will be announced at a later date.

Prior to street reconfiguration, Metro will remove three medians along Wilshire Boulevard between Sycamore and Cloverdale Streets.  Medians and landscaping will be returned following construction of the project.

The Purple Line Extension will extend L.A.’s subway westward from its terminus at Wilshire/Western approximately nine miles and add seven new stations. The first 4-mile section is now under construction and will be operational in 2023.  It will provide a high-capacity, high-speed, dependable alternative for Angelinos traveling to and from LA’s “second downtown,” including destinations such as Miracle Mile, Beverly Hills, Century City and Westwood.