CHSRA pledges $115 million for L.A. Regional Connector rail project

The California High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA) is providing nearly $115 million for the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority's (Metro) Regional Connector rail project.

The funds come from Proposition 1A bonds, which California voters approved in 2008. California Senate Bill 1029, which was signed into law in 2012, allocated the funds for the Metro project, CHSRA spokeswoman Adeline Yee said in an email.

The Regional Connector project is a 1.9-mile underground rail route that will allow passengers to transfer between Blue, Expo, Red and Purple lines. Estimated to cost $1.75 billion, the project includes construction of three rail stations.

Last week, Metro marked a project milestone when a tunnel boring machine broke through the underground wall of the future Grand Avenue Arts Station.

"The California high-speed rail program isn't just about constructing the nation's first high-speed rail line. It's also about improving connectivity around the state, including in Southern California," CHSRA officials said in a video about the Regional Connector project.

Metro broke ground on the project in September 2014.