Final study released for project to improve subway turnaround times at Union Station

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Metro has released the Final Environmental Impact Report for the Division 20 Portal Widening and Turnback Facility.

The project will help improve turnaround times for Red/Purple Line subway trains at Union Station, allow for more frequent subway service and create more space in the subway car rail yard. That’s important with the subway fleet growing and the first two sections of the Purple Line Extension under construction between Wilshire/Western and Century City.

If you submitted your formal comment to Metro about the Draft EIR during the comment period back in Spring 2018, you can read Metro’s responses in Chapter 3 of the final EIR.

The Metro Construction Committee will consider the finalized environmental document on October 18 and the full Metro Board on October 25.

 

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5 replies ›

  1. Hi Steve,

    according to page 11 of metro’s August Section 1 purple line update, tunneling was scheduled to start on 9/25, did that start earlier this week and no one noticed?

    Section 1: lametro.nextrequest.com/documents/817258/download

    And According to page 10-11Metro’s August Section 2 purple line update, Metro is taking delivery of the section 2 TBMs today, is that still happening today? what does starting delivery of the TBMs entail?

    Section 2: lametro.nextrequest.com/documents/817259/download

    seems like this is a big week for tunneling on the purple line!

    • Hi Adam —

      Tunneling has not started yet. It is scheduled to start in October — but I don’t have definitive date. As for TBM delivery, I’ll have to check. We’ll be posting some new PLE construction pics very shortly!

      Steve Hymon
      Editor, The Source

    • Regarding your second question: per the Section 2 document you cited, the contractor won’t complete the launch box excavation until year. And TBM “Installation” is set for June 2019. So, whenever the TBMs actually get delivered, they’ll be sitting idle for a long, long time.

  3. At the south end of the yard there is the Lucky Brand headquarters and a huge empty lot being used for construction staging for the new 6th Street bridge. Why not just use those two lots? It would seem to address most of the issues brought up in the EIR and it presents less construction challenges. It also squares off what is a strangely shaped parcel of MTA property and we get rid of Lucky Brand jeans (kidding, sort of). It extends usable trackage south in case an arts district station is ever in the mix. Seems like a win-win-win.