L.A. Metro EXPO Line - Phase 2 Updates

[MikeF90]

This topic will cover construction updates and related information for the Los Angeles County METRO Expo Line. Phase 2 includes building stations, trackage and other facilities west from Culver City to the terminus in downtown Santa Monica. The extension should be 'ready for use' by early 2016-ish.  By contrast to the first phase build from downtown where most of the adjacent neighborhood is single family homes, this part of the county has more 'medium rise' office building new in the last 30 years. Many entertainment and tech businesses call Santa Monica home.

Google map overview of LA Metro rail stations including EXPO (link)

BuildEXPO project web page (link)

LA Metro Library EXPO photo set on Flickr (link) This extensive collection includes other photo sets related to Metro projects and predecessors like the Pacific Electric and Los Angeles Railway. WARNING - you may spend many hours browsing here.

Friends 4 Expo web site (link) - more construction photos and history

EXPO LINE FAN site (link) - more construction update photos

Personal photo updates will follow.

[MikeF90]

Due to construction interference and very limited parking to begin with, many areas cannot be photographed by 'civilians' at this time.

The first pic looks east from the Palms rec center pedestrian bridge toward the I-10 tunnel.

The center wire/light pole bases don't look centered in the ROW, but that could be an illusion. The last occupants of this ROW were Southern Pacific locals serving a few customers west of the I-405 and, at one time, even a branch along Sepulveda north and then east on Santa Monica Blvd.

The RR bridge over Sepulveda Blvd has been built but not the east ramp, where the ROW is occupied temporarily by LA city parking nazi vehicles.

The future entrance to the Sepulveda Blvd platform:

[MikeF90]

The design challenge I wanted to see was how the ROW will pass under the wide I-405 freeway and then over Sawtelle Blvd immediately to the west. It still looks like a tight fit:

Just to the west, the long bridge over Pico Blvd is mostly complete:

[MikeF90]

Looking east from the Barrington Ave grade crossing, it is surprising how two LRV tracks make the narrow PE ROW look spacious:

The bridge over Bundy Drive looks pretty complete, squeezing by some newer office buildings:

East of Stuart Street the new EXPO line maintenance yard is being built. Cars will no longer have to overnight at the Blue line yard in north Long Beach.

Further west (no photo taken) the EXPO ROW changes from the old PE to the center of Colorado Blvd and continues to the end at 4th Street. At this time, it does not look like Colorado will be widened by demolishing adjacent buildings - most are built close to the lot edge.

This ends my April 2014 update.

[K. P. Harrier]

MikeF90 (4-13):

Thanks for starting this thread.

I am vaguely familiar with the Pacific Electric route map of old from downtown Los Angeles to the Santa Monica area.  There were two (sometimes three) lines between those points.

Recently, I had opportunity to traverse Venice Blvd. west of the I-405 Freeway and noted that that is a divided roadway, obviously the route of one of those decades ago PE lines.  I take it the line you posted about was the one some distance north of Venice Blvd.

If you have any historic background information about the line you are now post covering, I sure would like hear about it in comprehending your coverage area.

Thanks,

K.P.

[MikeF90]

K. P. Harrier

If you have any historic background information about the line you are now post covering, I sure would like hear about it in comprehending your coverage area.

The Wikipedia article on the Santa Monica Air Line gives a good historical synopsis. Unlike most of the Pacific Electric, this line has a freight heritage - it was built by the Los Angeles and Independence Railroad to bring ore to ships at the new Santa Monica harbor.  The new Los Angeles harbor in San Pedro brought about the formers decline after 1897 and the parent Southern Pacific swapped the line to the Los Angeles Pacific (later PE) in 1908.

The east end of the original line turned north along San Pedro St and ended at a depot at 5th Street. After the 1877 purchase SP extended the line east to Alameda St (SP main) and what is today 'J' yard. Today the section of the line east of Flower St is unused for railroad purposes.

[MikeF90]

After a two month hiatus the great photographer Alan Weeks has uploaded some more photos of the Expo Line phase 2 construction. No change in Flickr behavior, the only sort is by upload date so here is the latest (last) page of the set: 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/metrolibraryarchive/sets/72157631956525976/page10/

Just realized since my last visit, the non-rail traffic on Colorado Blvd west of 17th Street will be one lane in each direction.

[MikeF90]

Another external web site link and update:

The EXPO LINE FAN site (link) is updated fairly frequently from multiple contributors.

FYI to fellow construction geeks - one of the pics mentions the use of the GERB vibration control system.

Sept 9 update: more new photos on the EXPO LINE FAN site.  No change in LACMetro Flickr set.

[vsmith]

I thought the extension was going to bypass the PE ROW through Cheviot Hills because they were making a major NIMBY stink up? Glad it is going through there, makes reuse of the old PE route.

[Metro Red Line]

vsmith

I thought the extension was going to bypass the PE ROW through Cheviot Hills because they were making a major NIMBY stink up? Glad it is going through there, makes reuse of the old PE route.

That was the case several years ago, but long story short, the NIMBYs lost the battle! The NIMBY alternate route through Venice would have ended up costing more, with a lower ridership and a slower travel time.

[vsmith]

Metro Red Line

vsmith

I thought the extension was going to bypass the PE ROW through Cheviot Hills because they were making a major NIMBY stink up? Glad it is going through there, makes reuse of the old PE route.

That was the case several years ago, but long story short, the NIMBYs lost the battle! The NIMBY alternate route through Venice would have ended up costing more, with a lower ridership and a slower travel time.

Wow logic actually prevailed, that is something to cheer about. 

Watch in a couple years they will be be-hitching about how inadequate their service is and that they need a bigger station 

[MikeF90]

Metro Red Line

That was the case several years ago, but long story short, the NIMBYs lost the battle! The NIMBY alternate route through Venice would have ended up costing more, with a lower ridership and a slower travel time.

IMO the route tradeoff is still debatable. Venice and Lincoln Blvd have huge apartment density offset by lack of employment hubs. Bundy and 26th St stations have good nearby employment hubs but it remains to be seen if more of the 'professional' demographic will / can take public transit to there. I agree that for the short term the better route was chosen.

I predict that the downtown SM station could be the #1 Metro Rail destination. Weekday pedestrian traffic is phenomenal there even today. OTOH Expo could show a major Metro weakness - north south bus service west of La Brea. Now more back to topic.

East of Military Ave trackwork looks almost complete and they are making great progress with the catenary - need to energize it and keep those s******* copper thieves away.

[Metro Red Line]

MikeF90

Metro Red Line

That was the case several years ago, but long story short, the NIMBYs lost the battle! The NIMBY alternate route through Venice would have ended up costing more, with a lower ridership and a slower travel time.

IMO the route tradeoff is still debatable. Venice and Lincoln Blvd have huge apartment density offset by lack of employment hubs. Bundy and 26th St stations have good nearby employment hubs but it remains to be seen if more of the 'professional' demographic will / can take public transit to there. I agree that for the short term the better route was chosen.

But the NIMBY alternate routing would have only applied in the area between the current Culver City station and the 405 Freeway. Everything west of the 405 followed the original plan,

[MikeF90]

Metro Red Line

But the NIMBY alternate routing would have only applied in the area between the current Culver City station and the 405 Freeway. Everything west of the 405 followed the original plan,

IIRC one of the earliest proposals followed Venice to Lincoln and north to downtown S.M. I can't find any published reference to it. Oh, well.

BTW ground was just broken for the downtown 'Regional Connector' that will convert the existing Blue, Gold and Expo LR lines into two lines (one east - west, one south - northish).

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-regional-connector-20140930-story.html

http://thesource.metro.net/2014/09/30/ground-is-broken-for-regional-connector-project-to-link-blue-expo-and-gold-lines/

This will eliminate the need to use the Red Line as an intermediate connection. Sticking with 'the grid' should also improve bus connection options.

Thinking out loud, somewhere down the road many stations will have to 'change color'.

UPDATE: Here is a link to an early Edison video of the Santa Monica end of the line. It appears that the former LA&IR route is now the end of Interstate 10 turning into Pacific Coast Highway.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iA18L5Tu99g

The Insert Video dialog for the new forum style has yet to be completely decoded.

UPDATE 2 - the Insert Video button now seems to work, but click both tabs first to fill in the dimension fields.

[MikeF90]

More photo updates of Expo Line construction from the 'Source' Metro blog:

http://thesource.metro.net/2014/11/03/new-construction-photos-of-expo-line-phase-2/

 

[MikeF90]

This article about Expo line 'precursors' has a good collection of historical photos:

http://www.kcet.org/updaily/socal_focus/history/la-as-subject/rail-to-the-westside-the-expo-lines-historical-precursors.html

It is hard to believe that the Westside once looked like this! 

Meanwhile the Expo Line Fan site gets almost daily construction photo updates:

 

[MikeF90]

Looking at some of the latest construction photos, I'm still wondering about future track maintenance. It appears that from 17th Street west to line end the rails are totally 'cast in concrete':

When / if the rails get worn enough to need replacing, isn't jackhammering all of that concrete out going to be very time consuming and disruptive (and of course expensive)?  To the LR construction experts - if I'm overlooking something, please advise.

The 25 year old Blue Line has been receiving some upgrades recently including replacement of 'corroded rail' from Willow St to downtown Long Beach. I don't remember if they used a similar rail anchoring technique.

[K. P. Harrier]

MikeF90 (2-25):

 

In reviewing the photo at the link in the post just above, it looks like that ‘in the concrete’ track is not in the concrete at all, but merely panels on the track that can be replaced as needed.

 

Best,

 

K.P.

[MikeF90]

K. P. Harrier

In reviewing the photo at the link in the post just above, it looks like that ‘in the concrete’ track is not in the concrete at all, but merely panels on the track that can be replaced as needed.

The only panels I've seen are at grade crossings. OTOH the street running and platforms are a 'continuous pour'. Here are links to a few examples:

http://www.ipernity.com/doc/expo-line/37213672

http://www.ipernity.com/doc/expo-line/37213650

http://www.ipernity.com/doc/expo-line/37213518

http://www.ipernity.com/doc/expo-line/37213504

http://www.ipernity.com/doc/expo-line/37213616

I've seen few expansion joints in the concrete, so everything must be anchored down real securely ala CWR. At 6th Street they have a crossover cast flush:

http://www.ipernity.com/doc/expo-line/37213476

http://www.ipernity.com/doc/expo-line/37213474

The LR concrete pad appears to be higher than the remaining 'rubber tire' lanes.

[rcdrye]

Girder rail embedded in concrete has been standard construction for in-street track since the cable railway era.  In the streetcar era the concrete pour often extended only half way up the rail, with bricks or stone pavers making up the top layer.  Girder rail stands higher than ordinary rail, and usually has the flangeway rolled as part of the rail.  In the photos here, it looks like ordinary T-rail is used with the flangeway cast into the concrete.

[K. P. Harrier]

MikeF90 (3-5):

Wow!  You are right!  The rail IS in the concrete.

The designers of such rail in concrete must be expecting the end of the world to come before the rail needs to be replaced.

Best,

K.P.

 

[rcdrye]

The concrete around the rails is often poured without rebar, making it easier to break up if repair or replacement is required.  The "Concrete Breaker" was a common piece of work equipment for street railways in days gone by.

[MikeF90]

The Expo Line project office announced that phase 2 'train testing' will begin on Monday, April 6.

http://www.buildexpo.org/wp-content/uploads/033015-Expo-Phase-2-Notice-Expo-Phase-2-TRAIN-TESTING.pdf

Contractor testing of train clearance, OCS, signals and grade crossing protection should take 'several months' prior to turn over to Metro for pre-revenue acceptance and training.

Unusual marker seen at one station, perhaps part of the 'art':

[MikeF90]

Judging by the extensive postings on the Expo Line Fan site, the contractor team accomplished a lot in their first day of testing. A Peterbilt hi-rail truck pulled the test consist with the well known foam 'wedgies' to check clearance:

Most of the clearance testing was done under OCS power! Here the train has passed under I-10 heading west:

They used the crossover east of Military to head back in the other direction:

Testing west of Military will wait for another day:

Now I'm stimulated to go out and see this in person ....

[Metro Red Line]

Here's a drone-filmed aerial tour of the Metro Expo Line Phase II extension from Culver City to Santa Monica:

 

[Metro Red Line]

[081552]

Fantastic video!

[MikeF90]

More progress photos have been posted on the Expo Line Fan site. An 'after' shot to my post above looks west under the I-405 freeway, showing the OCS messenger wire is in place with inches to spare:

Looking east from Sawtelle Blvd at the tight fit under I-405:

[MikeF90]

UPDATE: split up photo postings to reduce loading issues.

A closeup a of switch motor, will be harder to get when operational:

A few sections of the bike path have finally been paved ....

[MikeF90]

Some views from the cab of a test train have recently been posted, starting at this one:  http://www.ipernity.com/doc/expo-line/38133668

Press left arrow / key for the rest of this sequence. Note that track 3 is the south track and track 4 is the north (why I have no idea).