March 14, 2025 The Best Source of News, Culture, Lifestyle for Culver City, Mar Vista, Del Rey, Palms and West Los Angeles

Metro Completes Tunneling for D Line Subway Extension in Los Angeles

Major Construction Milestone Connects Downtown and West LA

The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) has reached a significant milestone in its D Line Subway Extension Project, marking the completion of tunneling that will link downtown L.A. with West L.A.

This achievement comes after safely navigating one of the busiest and most geologically demanding urban corridors in both the Los Angeles region and the nation.

“This safe completion of tunneling through this part of Los Angeles is a milestone in Metro’s work to expand fast and reliable public transit across the region,” said Karen Bass, L.A. City Mayor and Metro Board Chair. “When completed, the D Line extension will make Metro transit available to 53,300 more weekday riders traveling between Downtown Los Angeles and the Westside. Thank you to all of the construction workers who have given their time and talent to successfully complete the tunneling.”

With tunneling now finished, Metro will continue collaborating with its two contractors in a joint venture with Skanska-Traylor-Shea and Tutor-Perini/O&G to finalize seven new underground stations spanning across three sections: from Wilshire/Western to Wilshire/La Cienega, Wilshire/La Cienega to Century City, and Century City to Westwood.

Employing the latest Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) technology, contractors excavated approximately 40-60 feet per day to facilitate the tunneling process. The state-of-the-art TBMs, measuring 400 feet in length and 21 feet in diameter, utilized closed-face, pressurized TBM technology to minimize ground settlement during excavation. Additionally, the machines lined the tunnel with precast concrete segments bolted together to form secure rings, ensuring water- and gas-tightness to mitigate associated risks.

“The D Line Subway Extension is one of the most complex engineering feats that Metro has undertaken,” said Lindsey Horvath, Chair of the LA County Board of Supervisors and Metro Board Member. “Its complexity is matched by the immense value the project will bring to Los Angeles when it opens and carries 30,000 daily riders through one of our densest and most job-rich regions.”

Throughout the five-year tunneling process, Metro confronted and surmounted various technical challenges, such as gassy ground, tar sands, and abandoned oil wells. Near the La Brea Tarpits, the advanced TBMs navigated through tar sands and employed horizontal directional drillings to identify and remove potential obstacles, including unmapped and abandoned oil wells beneath Beverly Hills High School.

“Congratulations to Metro and its contractors for reaching a critical milestone for the D Line Subway Extension,” said L.A. County Supervisor and Metro Board Member Holly J. Mitchell. “We are one major step closer to a Los Angeles where everyone has access to all the cultural and economic resources the region has to offer.”

“Now that tunneling is complete, it won’t be long before Metro completes this mega-project and makes it possible for everyone to travel from downtown L.A. to West L.A. in under 30 minutes,” said Katy Yaroslavsky, L.A. City Council Member and Metro Board Member. “This subway extension will catalyze ridership on the entire Metro System in the years ahead, bringing many thousands of new riders throughout Metro’s transit system.”

“The end of tunneling work on this project is a triumph of engineering, planning and execution. Our construction team undertook a painstaking process that helped us keep everyone in these communities safe and deliver a better project for the people of L.A. County,” said Stephanie Wiggins, Metro CEO. “We have proven yet again our capability to safely tunnel underneath a range of different structures as well as sensitive and historic sites.”

The forecasted openings are 2025 for Section 1, 2026 for Section 2, and 2027 for Section 3 of the project.

Metro funded the project locally through the 2008 Measure R and 2016 Measure M voter-approved transportation sales tax measures, with federal funding matching approximately half of the project’s overall cost.

in News
Related Posts

Mysterious Shooter Killing Crows in Westchester, Residents Fear for Their Safety, Want Action

March 14, 2025

March 14, 2025

Residents Fear Escalating Violence as Bullets Narrowly Miss People, Pets, and Homes Residents of Westchester are growing increasingly alarmed after...

Brentwood and Palisades Libraries Offer March Events for Families and Mystery Lovers

March 14, 2025

March 14, 2025

West LA Libraries Are Hosting Exciting Events for All Ages This Month. The Donald Kaufman Brentwood Library has announced temporary...

Your Guide to Free Museum Weekend: 30 SoCal Museums Waiving Admission Fees

March 14, 2025

March 14, 2025

Explore Art, History, and Culture for Free as Museums Across LA Open Their Doors Art and history lovers in Southern...

Mayor Bass’ Text Messages Deleted Amid Pacific Palisades Fire Response Scrutiny

March 13, 2025

March 13, 2025

Public Records Requests Reveal That Mayor Bass’ Phone Auto-Deletes Messages On January 7, as powerful winds and dry conditions fueled...

The Ebell of Los Angeles Celebrates Women’s History Month with Inspiring Events, Art, and Performances

March 13, 2025

March 13, 2025

The Month-Long Celebration Honors the Contributions and Resilience of Women In honor of Women’s History Month, The Ebell of Los...

(Video) Baltaire’s Amazing 10th Anniversary Party

March 13, 2025

March 13, 2025

The Greek Salad prepared table side. Bluefin Toro with Crispy Rice, wasabi, spicy mayo, pickled ginger. Chateaubriand, 16 oz, with...

(Video) Wildfire Attorney. Law Offices of Allen Farshi

March 13, 2025

March 13, 2025

How The Law Offices of Allen Farshi Can Safeguard You Amid Wildfire Loss. For more information, check out the video...

Baltaire Celebrates 10 Years with a ‘Decade of Decadence’ Anniversary Bash

March 12, 2025

March 12, 2025

Brentwood’s Iconic Steakhouse Marked a Milestone With an Unforgettable Night of Fine Dining Last Saturday night was the official party...

(Video) H&H Bagels Now Open in Santa Monica

March 12, 2025

March 12, 2025

The New York Bagel Spot finally arrived at 710 Montana to crowds and long lines. Here’s that bagel sandwich goodness....

The Ultimate Guide to St. Patrick’s Day 2025 in West Los Angeles, Where to Eat, Drink & Party

March 12, 2025

March 12, 2025

From Irish-Inspired Brunches to Green Beer Towers & Drag Bingo, We’ve Got You Covered Los Angeles is going all out...

Eat + Drink West Hollywood Returns for a Month-Long Culinary Celebration

March 12, 2025

March 12, 2025

Dine, Drink, and Support Hospitality Workers Affected by Wildfires Eat + Drink West Hollywood is making a grand return this...

Michelin Unveils Newest Additions to Its California Guide, Seven Los Angeles Restaurants Recognized

March 12, 2025

March 12, 2025

Exciting New Dining Destinations Join the Michelin Selection in Los Angeles, Culver City, Santa Monica ​The Michelin Guide has recently...

Evacuation Warnings Issued for LA Burn Areas, PCH Closure Announced as Storm Approaches

March 12, 2025

March 12, 2025

Residents in High-Risk Zones Urged to Prepare for Possible Mudslides Officials have issued evacuation warnings for multiple areas in Los...

Flux Screening Series Returns with Daring Short Films and Music Videos at the Hammer Museum

March 11, 2025

March 11, 2025

Experience Avant Garde Cinema, Live Filmmaker Presentations, and Guest DJ Sonrista The Flux Screening Series is set to bring the...

Help Shape Culver City’s Future: Join Transportation and Street Design Meetings

March 11, 2025

March 11, 2025

Public Input Sought for Complete Streets and Mobility Services Plan Residents and stakeholders are invited to participate in two upcoming...