Los Angeles Metro breaks ground on Purple Line Extension's second phase

The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) on Friday broke ground on the second phase of the Purple Line Extension.

The project involves adding 2.6 miles of subway service to downtown Beverly Hills and LA's Century City neighborhood.

Major construction activities are expected to begin this spring when crews create a launch area for a tunnel boring machine at the planned Century City/Constellation Station, Metro officials said in a press release.

The agency has begun moving underground water, gas, power and telecommunications line to make way for further subway construction.

The entire Purple Line Extension project is being built in three phases. The first two  are funded primarily with revenue from Los Angeles County's Measure R sales tax, as  well as a pair of federal grants. In January 2017, Metro secured federal funding for the second phase.

Also that month, the agency awarded a $1.37 billion contract to a Tutor Perini Corp./O & G joint venture to build the Purple Line's second phase.

The Purple Line Extension is expected to serve nearly 50,000 daily riders at its seven stations, according to Metro.