Fresh pics: what’s happening at Purple Line Extension’s Wilshire/La Brea Station

An aerial view of the construction yard on the northwest corner of Wilshire Boulevard and La Brea. The station is directly under Wilshire. Another construction yard is on the southwest corner of the intersection. Traffic on Wilshire is on decking installed by Metro that allows the street to remain open while the station box is dug underneath. Photo by Joe Lemon/Metro.

Ground level view looking into the station box at the construction yard on the NW side of Wilshire and La Brea. This is one place where soil is brought and then removed from the station. Photos by Steve Hymon/Metro.

And the view from the bottom of the station box as the machine on the left moves soil into place to be brought to the surface by the big machine at the right.

Because everything looks better in black and white.

Looking from the north side of La Brea toward the south side. The station box continues west beyond the cab of the bulldozer.

Moving soil and excavated material toward the north side of La Brea to be taken to the surface.

Another view of the work to remove soil from the station. This was taken from under Wilshire looking toward the construction yard on the northwest side of the street.

Looking east down the station box.

Work on the south wall of the station box. This is also looking east from under Wilshire & La Brea.

Similar view, also looking east.

Removing soil at the east end of the station box near Wilshire and Orange Drive.

We shot these yesterday at Wilshire and La Brea, the site of a future station for the Purple Line Extension subway that is now under construction.

Of the three new stations that are part of the project’s first section — which runs 3.9 miles between the current Wilshire/Western Station and the future Wilshire/La Cienega Station — this one is furthest along with about 70 percent of the soil removed. Excavation of the station box is also underway for the Wilshire/Fairfax station and street decking for Wilshire/La Cienega Station is expected to begin later this year.

The first section of the project is forecasted to open in late 2023. Metro is aiming to complete the second section to downtown Beverly Hills and Century City and the third section to Westwood by 2024 — if federal matching funds can be secured. The project is funded by the Measure R sales tax measure approved by L.A. County voters in 2008 and a federal grant.

There is tons of great info about the Purple Line Extension on the project homepage. Here’s the latest project newsletter. And below is a good construction fact sheet (pdf here):

 

4 replies

  1. where is all the contaminated dirt going to and does the city have enough insurance for the illnesses that the workers will have in 10 years?