Time flies when you’re building a new light rail. Between January and March, the Regional Connector project interrupted Gold Line service at the Little Tokyo/Arts District Station to build a temporary train track, or shoofly.

Over the course of 72 days crews demolished the south entrance to the Little Tokyo/Arts District station, installed piles and decking, laid new track, installed overhead catenary power poles, tested rail quality and safety, erected a 22-foot tall sound wall and resumed Gold Line service.

The track relocation — which is temporary — is necessary in order to build one of the tunnel entrances for the Regional Connector in the middle of 1st Street. When tunneling begins, the tunnel boring machine launch pit will be located on the northeast corner of 1st Street and Alameda, which is behind the wall you see being erected in the video.

The Regional Connector is a 1.9-mile underground tunnel in downtown Los Angeles that will connect the Blue, Expo and Gold Lines and allow faster light rail rides to and through DTLA. The project is funded in part by Measure R and has a target completion date of 2020.

Related

Regional Connector project home page

Bridge demolished in DTLA for Regional Connector’s 2nd/Hope Station

Tunneling machine for Regional Connector sets sail for the Southland

On that note, the tunneling machine has arrived in Los Angeles and is being stored on a lot near the Little Tokyo/Arts District station until excavation begins later this year. Here’s a pic:

Photo: Metro.