The photos were taken last week of the ongoing work to build tracks for the Expo Line across Lincoln Boulevard in Santa Monica. I’m sure bus riders and motorists in the area have been keenly aware of the work over the last week and the accompanying related detours, which ended today. The top photo shows Lincoln Boulevard again open to traffic this afternoon.
Progress on the Measure R-funded project continues at a steady clip with work about 60 percent complete. The current forecast has the new six miles of track between Culver City and downtown Santa Monica opening in early 2016.
The Expo Line is one of three Metro Rail projects now under construction, joining the Crenshaw/LAX Line, the Gold Line Foothill Extension and soon the Regional Connector. The Purple Line Extension contract is expected to be awarded this summer and it will be the fifth rail project in Los Angeles under construction because of Measure R. In addition, Metro has begun receiving the first of 550 new state-of-the-art buses and is spending $1.2 billion to overhaul the Metro Blue Line, including the purchase of new light rail vehicles.
