The Foothill Gold Line extension project from Pasadena to Azusa is reaching a major milestone this month, when all 28-miles of light rail track needed for the 11.5-mile project will be completely installed.

To celebrate the achievement, the $741 million project, which officials say is on time and on budget for its late-September 2015 completion date, is holding a Track Completion Ceremony on October 18 at the terminus station in the city Azusa, about 25 miles east of Los Angeles.

During the event, the last of about 300,000 e-clips will be driven into place, marking the permanent connection between the Los Angeles County cities of Pasadena, Arcadia, Monrovia, Duarte, Irwindale and Azusa, via this new light rail line. E-clips permanently attach the steel rail to the concrete ties. 

Also part of the ceremony will be the unveiling of a sidewalk marker that recognizes the importance of the day to these corridor cities.

(photo courtesy of Foothill Gold Line)

The Foothill Gold Line project is a nearly $2 billion, 12-station extension of the Metro Gold Line light rail system, being overseen by the Metro Gold Line Foothill Extension Construction Authority, an independent transportation planning and construction agency created in 1998 by the California State Legislature.

The project is planned in two segments – Pasadena to Azusa and Azusa to Montclair. The Pasadena to Azusa segment is fully funded by Los Angeles County’s Measure R, and the Construction Authority is currently seeking $1 billion needed to construct the Azusa to Montclair segment.

The Foothill Gold Line from Pasadena to Azusa broke ground on June 26, 2010 when three design-build teams were hired to do the design and construction of the project.

The first contract was awarded in June 2010 to Skanska USA to design and build the 584-ft-long Gold Line Bridge, which was completed on December 2012. In July 2011, the second contract was awarded to Foothill Transit Constructors - A Kiewit Parsons Joint Venture to design and build the Pasadena to Azusa "alignment" (including the stations, track, crossings, bridges, etc). 

The last contract was awarded in February 2013 to Webcor Builders for the intermodal parking facilities and enhancements design-build project.