Renderings of what the piling work will look like on the north side of Wilshire (top) and on the south side (bottom). Credit: LA Metro.

Pile installation to create the support structure for the Wilshire/Rodeo station on the Purple Line Extension’s second section is expected to begin on September 23. When it comes to subway construction, pile installation typically marks the beginning of major construction since large construction equipment is noticeable on the street and work occurs throughout the day.

During pile installation, a rig is used to drill 100-foot deep holes into the ground. A crane then places a steel beam known as a ‘pile’ into each hole. After the pile is put in place, each hole is filled with concrete to provide support for the perimeter of the station box during excavation of the Wilshire/Rodeo subway station. A total of 288 piles will be needed to form that perimeter. 

The construction activity will begin on the north side of Wilshire Boulevard between Beverly Drive and Crescent Drive. When that work is done, the equipment will be relocated to the south side of Wilshire to continue the same operations. A K-rail barrier will be in place 24/7 during the work to provide safety and noise mitigation.

Wilshire Boulevard will be open to two lanes of traffic in each direction during this work. Weekend closures will be required at Wilshire Boulevard and Beverly Drive and at Wilshire Boulevard and South Cañon Drive to complete pile installation in the intersections. Area residents can get the latest info on street closures and construction impacts here https://www.metro.net/projects/westside/notices/.

Metro’s contractor Tutor-Perini/ O & G (TPOG) will take approximately three to four months on each side of the street to complete the work. TPOG installed a four-way traffic signal at Clifton Way and Crescent Drive and closed North Cañon Drive at Wilshire Boulevard to mitigate traffic impacts during major construction.

The Wilshire/Rodeo Station box will be located under Wilshire Boulevard from Beverly Drive to just west of Crescent Drive and will be 990 feet long, 70 feet wide and 90 feet deep. One station entrance is planned on the southwest corner of Wilshire Boulevard and Reeves Drive. A second entrance is currently being proposed by the city of Beverly Hills on the north side of Wilshire Boulevard and is in the public comment part of the environmental review process.

The Purple Line Extension project will extend the subway from Wilshire/Western for nine miles to the Westwood VA Hospital. The project is being built in three phases — the first section to Wilshire/La Cienega (expected opening in 2023) and the second section to Century City (2025) are now under heavy construction and early work is being done on the third section to the Westwood VA Hospital (2027 and which includes a station at Wilshire and Westwood boulevards). The project website has a ton of other info.

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