The D Line is set to reopen this Saturday, July 26, after being closed since May 17 to facilitate essential construction work at the Wilshire/Western Station. This work aimed to integrate the existing D Line with the future D Line Extension. During the reopening weekend, D Line trains will operate every 12 minutes from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., and every 20 minutes during off-peak hours.
Recently, I attended a lunch for workers involved in Section 1 of the D Line Subway Extension Project, which is part of an ambitious plan to extend the D Line nearly four miles westward to Westwood. This section will add three new stations at Wilshire/La Brea, Wilshire/Fairfax, and Wilshire/La Cienega, being constructed by a joint venture between Skanska, Traylor Brothers, and Shea Construction (STS).
The subsequent sections of the project aim to extend the D Line further, reaching Century City and Westwood, with anticipated completion dates in 2027 and 2028, respectively.
The event took place at the South La Brea Yard, located at the intersection of Wilshire Boulevard and La Brea Avenue, which will serve as the home base for this project. It’s notable that this site was where the first Tunnel Boring Machines (TBMs) for the project, two massive machines named Elsie and Soyeon, were introduced to the ground in 2018.
These TBMs initially tunneled eastward to the Wilshire/Western station before being removed, retransported to the yard, and then reinserted to create new tunnels leading toward the future Wilshire/La Cienega station, where they broke through in 2021.
The yard currently appears quite different, now bustling with trucks and excavators, as the TBMs are no longer on-site. However, Metro’s Joint Development team has plans to transform this area into affordable housing, with requests for proposals (RFPs) expected to be issued to qualified developers later this summer.
During the lunch, Ned Racine, one of Metro’s construction relations officers for Section 1, pointed out an unusual sight in the yard. As I surveyed the area, I noticed over a hundred workers, dressed in fluorescent safety vests, gathered around picnic tables sharing meals and stories.
In contrast to the upbeat atmosphere, Racine directed my attention to large quilted walls lining one side of the yard and the nearly bare street entrance. “The soundwalls are coming down,” he noted, a signal that the project was rapidly approaching completion.
The D Line Subway Extension has been a long-awaited endeavor, with its origins tracing back nearly 17 years when LA County voters approved Measure R, a half-cent sales tax, providing crucial funding for the project. It has been over two decades since former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa famously vowed to construct a “subway to the sea,” which has evolved into the heavy rail line now under construction. Furthermore, the idea of building rail along Wilshire has sparked considerable debate among Angelenos for many years.
After a decade since groundbreaking, we are reaching the final stages of this monumental project, which is now reported to be 98 percent complete, according to project managers from STS.
Despite nearing completion, a considerable amount of work remains to be done before the new stations are slated to open in Fall 2025. Currently, the team is in the critical testing phase that typically lasts about five to six months. I proposed a few questions to Racine regarding ongoing efforts below ground, leading to some insightful revelations.
One major focus has been connecting computer systems that manage various factors within the underground subway environment, including air quality and ventilation. Importantly, the team is ensuring compatibility between these new systems and controls from the previously built D Line segment from the 1990s, which necessitated the recent D Line closure.
Another priority is the testing of the Automatic Train Control (ATC) system, which plays a crucial role in determining a train’s precise position on the track, its direction, and its timing concerning prior and subsequent stations. This technology will be instrumental in providing real-time information on digital signs located on the platforms.
Testing of the crossovers, sections of track where two parallel tunnels intersect, is also underway. Stretching approximately 300 feet long, these crossovers are typically located at the end of stations, allowing for alternate passage in emergencies or in the event of a train stall. Presently, the team is focused on ensuring that signals operate correctly, allowing trains to cross smoothly from one track to another.
Excitingly, real trains are now being tested beneath Wilshire Boulevard. Initially, the team drove trucks through the tunnels to simulate the width of rail cars. Now, both the existing A650 trains and the new HR4000 models are in operation, outfitted with large water-filled containers that replicate the weight of actual passengers.
This testing is crucial, as the trains are being run at low speeds to assess signal responses while monitoring for any unusual sounds or vibrations.
Following this phase, we will begin testing system integration with Metro Rail Operations Center (ROC). Although no specific date has been established for the next steps, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) requires at least 60 days of pre-revenue service prior to the public opening of the rail line, which means further updates will be forthcoming.
The D Line’s Section 1 stands apart from other Metro projects, as it traverses one of the busiest streets in the region, linking the cities of Los Angeles and Beverly Hills, as well as multiple neighborhoods and key destinations such as the Miracle Mile, Century City, and UCLA.
Remarkably, it holds the record for the longest tunneling project through tar-infested sands in the history of the nation. Over the years, the project has undergone numerous changes and adjustments, including various name revisions, from the Red Line Extension to the ‘Subway to the Sea,’ ultimately evolving into the D Line we know today.
Accomplishing this ambitious initiative has proven to be an extensive and marathon-like challenge, as expressed by John Yen of Skanska during our conversation. He reflected on the evolution of team lunches, stating, “Years ago, you would have mostly miners at these team lunches. Then, as their work finished, they would move on to other projects, and the lunches would be attended by engineers, then the carpenters, then the electricians, and so on.”
This observation brought forth an analogy to relay teams in triathlons, emphasizing that completing one segment of work is merely the passing of responsibility to the next set of workers.
“It’s the paradox of what we do in construction,” Yen continued with a chuckle. “We work ourselves out of a job.”
image source from：thesource
