Bridge Construction Starts, Expo 'well on its way'

Major construction began Monday on the second phase of the light rail Expo Line from Culver City to Santa Monica with the drilling of piling holes for a new bridge over Olympic Boulevard at Centinela Avenue.

When operational in 2016, the $2.4 billion, 15.2-mile Expo line will run between Santa Monica and downtown Los Angeles. Construction of the first phase, connecting Culver City to downtown Los Angeles, began in 2006, and Culver City celebrated .

"With bridge work now starting, we are well on our way to delivering this vital transit project," Exposition Construction Authority CEO Rick Thorpe said in a press release.

The next step in constructing the Centinela Avenue Bridge is building footings, abutments and mechanically stabilized earth walls. Once the foundation is set, precast girders will be placed, and the bridge deck will be completed. The last step is to install tracks.

Construction will take about 1 year to complete.

More major work will start soon on three other key structures, including new bridges at Motor Avenue and Sepulveda Boulevard, along with the Sepulveda Parking Structure.

The second phase of Expo construction is paid for with Measure R sales tax revenue, and state and local funds. The Expo Board of Directors approved the project’s Final Environmental Impact Report in February 2010 and has awarded construction contracts worth more than $560 million.

The $1.5 billion project will include seven new stations in Palms, Westwood, West Los Angeles and Santa Monica.

Phase 2 Quick Facts

• 6.6 mile corridor
• Seven new stations, some with parking
• Estimated Ridership: 64,000 daily riders from downtown Los Angeles to Santa Monica by 2030
• Estimated Cost: $1.5 billion
• Construction completion in 2015