The Metro Regional Connector Project extends from the Metro Gold Line Little Tokyo/Arts District Station to the 7th Street/Metro Center Station in Downtown Los Angeles allowing passengers to transfer to Blue, Expo, Red, and Purple Lines, bypassing Union Station. The 1.9-mile alignment will serve Little Tokyo, the Arts District, Civic Center, The Historic Core, Broadway, Grand Ave, Bunker Hill, Flower St and the Financial District. This new Metro Rail extension would also provide a one-seat ride for travel across Los Angeles County. From the Metro Gold Line, passengers will be able to travel from Azusa to Long Beach and from East Los Angeles to Santa Monica without transferring lines.
PacRim was involved in the structural design of the Flower Street Cut-and-Cover tunnel, along with providing the independent design checks of the Alameda Wye Cut-and-Cover tunnel segment and the 2nd and Hope Underground station. A total of 9 different sections were produced as part of the structural construction documents and sensitivity analyses of each of the 9 sections were produced to provide the comprehensive design of the quarter mile long Flower Street cut-and-cover segment. Additionally, as part of the Flower Street Cut-and-Cover structure, structural design of the end wall, emergency exit stair structure and ventilation piping system were produced and provided with construction documents. The Alameda Wye Cut-and-Cover tunnel structure is located east of the 1st/Central Underground Station with 2 tracks splitting and diverging away from the station to form 4 total tracks. Similarly to Flower Street, the same structural design approach was considered for static and seismic loading conditions and an independent check review compared the produced results to the 85% construction documents provided.
PacRim was also responsible for 1 mile of storm drain design. The cut-and-cover tunnel design work by us at the south end of Flower Street prompted the removal and reconstruction of two (2) seven foot long catch basins and approximately 50 feet of 18-inch storm drain lateral on Flower Street, one at the northeast corner of Wilshire Blvd, and one at the northeast corner of Sixth Street. Realignment of Second Place at Hope Street is required to construct the new Metro Station. The existing storm drain system connects the Hope Street Storm Drain System to Flower Street along West General Thaddeus Kosciuszko Way, but the street is being abandoned as part of the construction for the station. To accommodate the new station, approximately 600 feet of existing 24-inch storm drain is being removed and replaced in kind with 500 feet of new 24-inch reinforced concrete pipe, plus 200 feet of 18-inch storm drain laterals. The project also included construction of ten new catch basins and seven new manholes.
Project at a Glance
- A 1.9-mile underground light rail system connecting the Metro Gold Line to the 7th Street/Metro Center Station
- Direct connection between Azusa and Long Beach and between East Los Angeles and Santa Monica
- Three new stations:
- 1st Street/Central Ave
- 2nd Street/Broadway
- 2nd Place/Hope Street
- All stations include public art components and provide convenient and safe access
- Life-of-Project Budget: $1.427 billion
- Forecasted opening: 2020
The Regional Connector Project receives partial funding from Measure R, which was a half-cent sales tax increase approved by voters in 2008.