Crews are working on the subway extension to the Westside
Work on the Purple Line expansion continues at a rapid clip down Wilshire Boulevard. Starting today, the beginning of “decking” work for the future Wilshire/Fairfax station on the subway’s Purple starts, wherein the streets and sidewalks are entirely excavated and capped off with temporary concrete deck panels.
According to The Source, commuters can expect street closures and detours near Wilshire and Fairfax for the next 18 weekends. Closures will be in effect each weekend starting 10 a.m. Fridays and lasting until 6 a.m. Mondays. Metro crews will work 24 hour shifts to expedite the decking process, but traffic snarls should be expected.
The decking will be completed in three phases, resulting in a variety of different closures and detours. Metro has not provided a timeline for when each phase is expected to begin or end, so drivers should be on the lookout for signs.
Bus service for the 20 and 720 lines that normally operate on Wilshire Boulevard will be rerouted to Third Street between La Brea and Fairfax.
Here’s what each phase entails.
Phase 1
All maps via Metro- During phase one, a detour will run along Sixth Street.
- From 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Fridays, traffic will be limited to a single lane in the work zone.
- From 8 p.m. Fridays until 6 a.m. Mondays, no traffic will be allowed in the work zone.
- Local access on Wilshire will be maintained as far as Spaulding Avenue on the westbound side, and Fairfax Avenue on the eastbound side.
Phase 2 (Eastbound and westbound detours)
- During Phase 2, a westbound detour will run along Olympic to northbound San Vincente.
- The eastbound detour runs south on La Cienega to Olympic.
- Lane reductions in the work zone on Wilshire and Fairfax are in effect on Fridays from 10 am to 8 pm.
- A full closure of Wilshire and Fairfax from 8 p.m. Fridays to 6 a.m. Mondays
- Local access on Wilshire will be maintained as far as Spaulding Avenue on the westbound side, and Crescent Heights Boulevard on the eastbound side.
Phase 2 (Northbound and southbound detours)
- Detours for northbound and southbound traffic on Fairfax Avenue run along Olympic, La Brea, and Sixth Street.
- Local access on Fairfax will be maintained up to Eighth Street on the northbound side, and to Sixth Street on the southbound side.
Phase 3
- A westbound detour will run along Wilshire, south on Fairfax, and north on San Vicente.
- An eastbound detour will run south on La Cienega to Olympic, and north on La Brea.
- Traffic in the work zone will be limited to one lane from Fairfax to Crescent Heights on Fridays from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
- A full closure from Fairfax to Crescent Heights begins at 8 p.m. on Fridays and lasts until 6 a.m. on Mondays.
- Local access on Wilshire will be maintained up to Fairfax from the westbound side, and to Crescent Heights from the eastbound side.