This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
4/3/2024
The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (L.A. Metro) yesterday marked the completion of five years of tunneling work needed to create the D Line Subway extension that will connect downtown Los Angeles with West Los Angeles.
The construction was accomplished in one of the densest and most geologically challenging urban corridors in the both the region and nation, L.A. Metro officials said in news release.
With the completion of tunneling, the authority will continue to work with its two contractors as a part of a joint venture with Skanska-Traylor-Shea and Tutor-Perini/O&G to complete seven new underground stations in Section 1 between Wilshire/Western and Wilshire/La Cienega, in Section 2 between Wilshire/La Cienega and Century City, and in Section 3 between Century City and Westwood.
The forecasted openings are 2025 for Section 1, 2026 for Section 2 and 2027 for Section 3.
Contractors used tunnel-boring machines (TBM) to excavate approximately 40 feet to 60 feet per day to help complete the tunneling. The 400 foot-long, 21 foot-diameter earth digging machines used closed face, pressurized TBM technology designed to minimize ground settlement during excavation.
The machines also lined the tunnel with precast concrete segments that were bolted together to form secure rings, making them water- and gas-tight, and preventing water- and gas-related risks. The same TBM technology was employed in 2009 on L.A. Metro’s Eastside Extension.