The $898-million Gold Line light rail extension project in Los Angeles is proceeding full speed ahead, with Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority officials hoping the toughest challenges are behind them.
Two 1.7-mile-long, 21-ft-diameter twin tunnels were completed Dec. 9 for the project, featuring the first-ever use of a double-gasketed, convex-convex joint system to keep them functional in a seismic event. "To this point, the completion of the tunnels was the biggest challenge on the job," says Mike Aparicio, project manager with Eastside LRT Constructors, the joint venture builder. "Now, for the next two years our focus will be on the underground stations and the completion of the five miles of at-grade rail work."