LA Metro Announces the Almost Completion of Crenshaw/LAX Line

Crenshaw-LAX LineCrenshaw-LAX Line

Los Angeles Metro has made significant constructional progress for its Crenshaw/LAX line. Three years after the line was scheduled to begin operating, Metro has announced substantial completion for the initial sgement of the propsoed 8.5-mile light rail line. The 8.5-mile light rail line was originally slated to open in 2019.

Walsh-Shea Corridor Constructors is the contractor responsible for building the line.

“The Crenshaw/LAX light rail line has been a decades-long community driven project. I remember years ago, as a staffer for then State Senator Diane Watson, hearing about visions of a transit line that would run down Crenshaw Blvd. and through the heart of my neighborhood of Leimert Park. This line is a testament to the vision and legacy of South Los Angeles leaders who fought for this investment in our community,” said Metro Board Member Holly Mitchell in a statement posted to The Source. “Our community has waited patiently for us to get here, and I am proud that we are delivering on our promise of a world class transit line that will provide tremendous mobility benefits to the Crenshaw Corridor and Inglewood communities.”

Crenshaw-LAX Metro Line Map

Crenshaw-LAX Metro Line Map

Metro is now able to begin its five-to-six-month testing period along the portion of the Crenshaw/LAX Line running between its juncture with the C Line at Aviation/LAX Station and 48th Street in the City of Inglewood.  Metro began work last year for the $900-million Airport Metro Connector Station at Aviation Boulevard and 96th Street. As a result, service will be limited to the corridor between Expo/Crenshaw Station and Westchester/Veterans Station when the line begins serving passengers in late 2022, with a bus bridge filling the gap between Westchester and the C Line. Full service on the Crenshaw/LAX Line is expected to begin in the second half of 2023.

However, another project could interrupt that timeline. Metro is also considering construction of a new aerial crossing for trains at Centinela Avenue in Inglewood, replacing the existing street-level crossing.

Beyond delays to accommodate infill stations and new grade separation projects, the Crenshaw/LAX Line has faced numerous delays. Since breaking ground in 2014, the project’s debut has been pushed back three times from its originally expected 2019 opening date. The project earned more than $2-billion in funds when it was propsoed. Continuous service along the route will remain years away.

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