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Post by Gokhan on Feb 23, 2010 16:55:01 GMT -8
Ah, great pictures, especially USC/Expo Park Station coming to life! From Darrell's picture it looks like the configuration of columns might be 5x2 instead of 4x2+1 as I thought for the Venice/Robertson Station. This would leave the number of missing columns to only one between Washington and National. And the Trousdale crossing will finally be installed during the next three weeks. Here is the current list of the rail crossings already installed, shown in Green: Washington 21st 22nd 23rd Adams 28th 30th Jefferson Trousdale Watt Menlo Vermont Raymond Normandie Halldale Denker Western Gramercy Arlington 7th 11th Crenshaw Buckingham Farmdale HauserSo, 20 have been installed and five are left among Expo Phase 1's 25 grade crossings (not counting the existing Blue Line shared track). Washington will remain until late this year. Adams should be installed once the bridge work is complete. Buckingham and beyond will be installed after the grand approval of Farmdale on April 22.
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Post by darrell on Feb 24, 2010 10:11:50 GMT -8
From Metro's The Source today: Posted by Steve Hymon on February 24, 2010 - 9:44 am
Blue Line service disruptions this weekend
More work needs to be done to tie the Expo Line and Blue Line together in downtown Los Angeles. The tracks from the two lines will merge at Washington and Flower.
That means that work needs to be done and there will be delays up to 30 minutes on Blue Line service beginning at 9 p.m. Friday night through the end of service late Sunday and early Monday morning.
Metro officials say they hope to have the work done in time for the Monday morning commute but if not there will be supplementary bus service. The press release with more details is after the jump. Work Begins Friday Night, February 26
Metro Blue Line weekend service to be impacted as construction crews work on Expo Line connection
Metro Blue Line passengers will experience travel delays of up to 30 minutes this coming weekend Friday night, February 26, due to construction of the Expo light rail line, which will connect with the Metro Blue Line in downtown Los Angeles.
Work will begin at 9 p.m. on Friday night and continue until the close of rail service on Sunday night February 28. Every attempt will be made to have service restored by Monday morning. Should any unforeseen delay occur, train service will be supplemented by buses between Washington and 7th St./Metro Center Stations.
All work is subject to weather delays. Metro patrons are advised to allow extra time for their trips and check television monitors in train stations or call Metro’s hot line number 213- 922-4999 for the latest information on the construction work and service impacts or go online to www.metro.net.
Information about closures and bus bridge service in English and Spanish will posted for the affected stations and announcements will be done in all Metro Rail stations.
The Expo Line is a new 8.5 mile light rail line under construction from downtown Los Angeles to Culver City. It will share tracks and two stations with the Metro Blue Line along the Flower Street portion of the alignment.
-- Steve Hymon
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Post by bobdavis on Feb 24, 2010 20:20:21 GMT -8
Thanks for the cat photos--I looked at the black cat and thought, this is no half-starved stray. Then a few photos later, the Cat Cafeteria. We don't have any kitties at this time (too much traveling), but my wife and I are both "cat people", and our daughters both have "rescued" cats, including one big fluffy orange and white one that my younger daughter found between a freeway and a busy railroad line.
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Post by darrell on Feb 24, 2010 23:23:08 GMT -8
The big news tonight is that part of the La Brea bridge falsework is finally down! Not yet the part over La Brea itself, but the older part on the east side. Neither night nor rain prevented some photos. In the second you get some sense of light between the two trackways, east of where the platform fills the gap. And the Trousdale crossing will finally be installed during the next three weeks. I also saw tonight that the earth has been graded in the gap between the Trousdale station and the current embedded track to the west, removing the old Trousdale pedestrian crossing.
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Post by Gokhan on Feb 25, 2010 13:14:53 GMT -8
Thanks for the cat photos ... These cats serve to protect the Expo Line railroad right-of-way from the evil ones in the west. The cats will also punish them in the afterworld. The protector spirits:
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Post by darrell on Feb 25, 2010 22:11:18 GMT -8
More on bridge falsework from tonight's Expo community meeting in Culver City: Release of falsework for La Cienega Aerial Structure March 3 through March 5, 9:00 p.m. – 5:30 a.m. Overnight Closure of La Cienega Boulevard
Removal of falsework for La Brea Aerial Structure March 17 through April 2, Monday – Friday, 9:00 p.m. – 5:30 a.m. Overnight Closures of La Brea Avenue
Removal of falsework for La Cienega Aerial Structure March 31 through April 14, Monday – Friday, 9:00 p.m. – 5:30 a.m. Overnight Closures of La Cienega Boulevard "Release" is dropping the falsework slightly from the concrete, so it can be monitored for strength before fully removing it. Removal waits 65 days for concrete curing unless the engineer in charge determines it can happen sooner. Other news from side converstations includes: - Current Blue Line work is booting along Washington and crossover switches at Pico;
- The crossing of Washington will happen in 6-9 months;
- Phase 1 will open to La Cienega early in 2011.
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Post by metrocenter on Feb 26, 2010 10:26:39 GMT -8
- Phase 1 will open to La Cienega early in 2011.
This comes from reliable sources, yes? I take "early in 2011" to mean Q1 2011. I wonder how opening by then will be possible. The Washington crossing won't even be done for 6-9 months (which means as late as November 2010). And then there's Farmdale: can I assume that station is fully designed and ready to be built, very quickly, this year? It's too bad Expo won't make it to Culver City for opening day. But I can't fault them for trying to be realistic.
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Post by Gokhan on Feb 26, 2010 11:28:54 GMT -8
- Phase 1 will open to La Cienega early in 2011.
Who did you talk to, Darrell? Construction people think that as soon as they complete the construction, people will be able to ride the train. They don't realize that there is a test period. I had the same experience with one of the construction managers. It sounds like he was thinking about the substantial completion date to the east of Caroline Ave, which is early 2011, not the opening date. There is a five-month test period after the substantial completion. The La Cienega opening will happen around May 2011. If the things go really, really well, it may perhaps be late March. But the reality is that the current schedule is showing January 2011 as the substantial completion date and there is an up to five-month test period after that. So, I would say late Spring or early Summer 2011. I was also surprised that they wait for months for the concrete to cure. Concrete reaches 80% of its strength in two days. The remaining 20% takes decades. Perhaps, unlike building structures, bridge structures need to be constructed extremely carefully to prevent anything going wrong.
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Post by rajacobs on Feb 26, 2010 11:56:27 GMT -8
I recall that in 1994 after the Northridge quake and failure of the Santa Monica Freeway between Fairfax and La Cienega, day and night construction replaced the concrete bridge deck very quickly. "Months" of cure time were not required then.
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Post by Gokhan on Feb 26, 2010 12:04:50 GMT -8
According to Wikipedia standard curing seems to be 28 days. 65 days to cure sounds a little excessively cautious. It also seems that the long cure time is mostly necessary for a quality surface rather than the structural strength.
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Post by rajacobs on Feb 26, 2010 12:53:15 GMT -8
I wonder if the increased cure time could be due to rail and tie placement employing unusually heavy equipment that results in especially high loading at specific points as equipment moves across the bridge structure.
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Post by darrell on Feb 28, 2010 18:33:00 GMT -8
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Post by darrell on Feb 28, 2010 18:41:31 GMT -8
Other news includes: Blue Line rail booting in concrete-paved sections of Washington Blvd. (here at Hill St.) A station canopy and current end of embedded track at Trousdale. Updated views west (above) and east (below) at Gramercy. The Ballona Creek rail bridge falsework.
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Post by kenalpern on Feb 28, 2010 18:43:16 GMT -8
Considering how many freeway overpasses and the like are in the area over Westwood, I'm not sure that area would be that upset about a bridge like this over Overland. Some would have a problem if they lived next to it, but others wouldn't care one bit (if my personal conversations with my neighbors in the region are of any prognostic ability).
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Post by Gokhan on Mar 2, 2010 14:31:04 GMT -8
Major Expo news: Phase 1.5 and 2 contracts awarded, Phase 1 bike path realigned, possible litigation with the Phase 1 contractorThe Venice/Robertson superstructure goes to Balfour Beatty Infrastructure. FFP (Flatiron, Fluor, Parson) had asked for $35 million. Balfour Beatty's bid is only $22 million. Phase 1.5 or the Venice/Robertson aerial station is now scheduled to be completed in mid November 2011. There is a $10,000 per day reward for finishing it earlier and up to 3 x $10,000 = $30,000 per day penalty for delays. Phase 1 is scheduled to open to La Cienega around May 2011. Expo has now hired new lawyers for potential ligitation with the contractor on delays, which are currently 47 weeks. The line was originally scheduled to open in June 2010. Phase 2 contracts go to URS/Shimmick (evaluated No. 1) and Skanska/Rados (evaluated No. 2). The strictly confidential evaluations were done based on purely qualifications and price wasn't a factor. Expo CEO wasn't a voting member of the evaluation team, which consisted of highly qualified independent individuals from the cities, transit companies, etc. The two teams will do the two independent preliminary-engineering designs and the winner of the two will be selected based on purely price. Phase 1 bike path was realigned to the south of the retaining wall between La Cienega and Jefferson. This was done to avoid the acquisition of the parcel at the northwest corner of Jefferson and La Cienga, which saved up to $5 million. Read the details in the Expo board-meeting agenda.
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Post by metrocenter on Mar 2, 2010 15:07:12 GMT -8
Phase 1 is scheduled to open to La Cienega around May 2011. So with a little luck, 14 months from now, I will be studying bus schedules, trying to figure out how to get to work from Jefferson/La Cienega. Phase 1 bike path was realigned to the south of the retaining wall between La Cienega and Jefferson. This was done to avoid the acquisition of the parcel at the northwest corner of Jefferson and La Cienga, which saved up to $5 million. Here is the pdf related to the bike path change. And here is the relevant text: So this agenda item has to do with approving payment for a change that already happened, is that right? And the bridge was redesigned (before construction) to allow the new bike path route, yes? This realignment brings a few questions to mind relating to the bike path. Where exactly will the bike path be located? Is this documented somewhere? The path is alongside the bridge, not on the bridge, right? And, how will the bike path be integrated with the train route? Will it weave north, then south, and then north again of the tracks? And if so, what will be the effect on safety?
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Post by Gokhan on Mar 2, 2010 17:17:43 GMT -8
Hopefully it will open a few months earlier in March 2011 or so. It will also be interesting to see if they could open Venice/Robertson before the end of 2011. Although the substantial completion is November 2011, the trackwork completion is much earlier; so, the train testing all the way to Venice/Robertson can start around Summer 2011.
This is the description of the Expo Phase 1 bike path: It starts at Vermont Ave and it's mostly Class II -- that is bike lanes marked on Exposition Boulevard east of La Brea and on Jefferson Boulevard west of La Brea. Between Exposition and La Brea and where Jefferson and the railroad right-of-way merge (a few blocks west of La Brea), it's Class I -- that is secluded bike path. At this point it becomes Class II on Jefferson Blvd further west. It becomes Class I to the west of Ballona Creek, where the bike path is to the north of the railroad right-of-way.
The change is that now the section between La Cienega and Ballona Creek will be Class I instead of Class II, with the bike path situated to the south of the railroad right-of-way. The advantage of this is Class I being superior to Class II and savings of up to $5 million, enough to build miles of Class I bike paths. The disadvantage is that there will be some crossover between Class I and Class II at La Cienega, making it necessray for the bicycles to zigzag at Jefferson and La Cienega and, depending on the direction, at Ballona Creek and Jefferson (Jefferson and National).
I'm sure this was done a long time ago as the abutments for the La Cienega bridge were built more than a year ago and they obviously can't be moved around. The board motion seems to be a bureactratic one to channel the additional money.
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Post by rajacobs on Mar 2, 2010 20:25:47 GMT -8
Tuesday, 2 Mar 2010 Today at Ballona Creek: Tuesday, 2 Mar 2010, Progress on the "fill" between Ballona Creek and La Cienega: Tuesday, 2 Mar 2010, between Ballona Creek and La Cienega: Tuesday, 2 Mar 2010, the La Cienega bridge:
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Post by Gokhan on Mar 4, 2010 15:36:44 GMT -8
BREAKING NEWS
Phase 1 delays keep mounting every month -- La Cienega opening now projected in August 2011
Expo receives notice of intent to file a lawsuit from NFSR
Well, I listened to the Expo board meeting today. The Phase 1 delay has increased to 58 weeks. This moves the substantial completion to the east of Caroline Ave to March 2011 and opening to La Cienega to August 2011. Venice/Robertson is expected to open in early 2012.
Major areas of delay were I-110 and La Brea bridges and they are under dispute between Expo and FFP on who is responsible. Litigation responsibility has moved to Metro and Expo will not involve in any litigation.
Phase 2 also moves with glacier pace and at this point it looks like the design - build process won't start until early 2011. Preliminary engineering will start next month and it will take at least six months to complete. Then there will be additional reviews.
In the monthly project-status presentation, the La Brea bridge was said to be completed and the falsework was said to be down. But when I actually checked it this evening, it didn't turn out to be true.
At the end of the board items, Expo CEO Rick Thorpe made his additional comments, saying that a notice of intent to file a lawsuit was received from Neighbors for Smart Rail (NFSR) and they expect to have a lawsuit filed. The deadline to have the lawsuit filed was said to be March 10.
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Post by Gokhan on Mar 4, 2010 18:17:03 GMT -8
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Post by metrocenter on Mar 4, 2010 19:38:56 GMT -8
Great pics as usual Gokhan. Obviously I'm not thrilled to find out that NFSR is planning to sue. But frankly it doesn't surprise me, nor does it worry me too much. Metro/Expo was very careful about how it carried out the AA and EIR process. The public was involved in all phases of planning, and their elected representatives approved the project. The worst this stunt will do is delay construction (which of course would suck but wouldn't be the end of the world).
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Post by darrell on Mar 4, 2010 23:27:50 GMT -8
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Post by kenalpern on Mar 5, 2010 6:42:14 GMT -8
Great pics as usual Gokhan. Obviously I'm not thrilled to find out that NFSR is planning to sue. But frankly it doesn't surprise me, nor does it worry me too much. Metro/Expo was very careful about how it carried out the AA and EIR process. The public was involved in all phases of planning, and their elected representatives approved the project. The worst this stunt will do is delay construction (which of course would suck but wouldn't be the end of the world). ...and, considering how delayed things are with construction on Phase 1 and how many portions of Phase 2 are ready to go, a court delay in the disputed section of Phase 2 isn't likely to change too much in the big picture.
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Post by metrocenter on Mar 5, 2010 8:11:53 GMT -8
Were also early enough in the process: for the next year the only activities will be design/engineering, hiring contractors and maybe utility relocation. And all of those can proceed regardless of the lawsuit. (Unless of course the judge issues an injunction on all activities.)
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Post by Gokhan on Mar 5, 2010 9:27:59 GMT -8
Of course, NFSR's "Great Idea" is to delay Phase 2 to the point that the Wilshire subway is built before it and the funds are transferred from Expo Phase 2 to the Wilshire subway and in this way Expo Phase 2 is killed for good.
Regarding Phase 1 I'm now getting the feeling that Expo is now also reluctant to open the line to La Cienega, as they didn't want to open it to Crenshaw. I'm sure they are afraid of poor ridership, which could seriously disadvantage any legal and political process for Phase 2. So, I won't be surprised if the line opens to Venice/Robertson as a whole in late 2011 instead of first to La Cienega in mid 2011 and then to Venice/Robertson in late 2011.
We will see how Balfour Beatty Infrastructure will perform on the Culver City superstructure. Venice/Robertson trackwork milestone (completion of tracks and catenary) is set for March 2011. This is when the test trains can start running. Testing requires up to five month. The full completion of all work is set for November 2011 and that's the earliest when it can open. There is also a $10,000 per day incentive for finishing the trackwork milestone ahead of time but no incentive for the rest of the project. There are penalties up to $30,000 per day for finishing late.
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Post by darrell on Mar 5, 2010 11:01:12 GMT -8
Venice/Robertson trackwork milestone (completion of tracks and catenary) is set for March 2011. This is when the test trains can start running. Testing requires up to five month. The full completion of all work is set for November 2011 and that's the earliest when it can open. Does it really require five months of testing for just the short stretch on the Culver City structure? One would think they could do five months testing of the rest of the line, then verify the end is ok in a much shorter time.
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Post by Gokhan on Mar 5, 2010 11:34:20 GMT -8
Venice/Robertson trackwork milestone (completion of tracks and catenary) is set for March 2011. This is when the test trains can start running. Testing requires up to five month. The full completion of all work is set for November 2011 and that's the earliest when it can open. Does it really require five months of testing for just the short stretch on the Culver City structure? One would think they could do five months testing of the rest of the line, then verify the end is ok in a much shorter time. I think you are right -- it probably doesn't require lengthy testing. But in any case the substantial completion for the Culver City superstructure is set for mid November 2011 and that's the earliest the line can open to Venice/Robertson. Trackwork completion in March 2011 doesn't involve the duct banks, station amenities, etc. They are trying to have the trackwork completed as soon as possible so that they can test the trains and open the station quickly. But the station can't open until the substantial completion of the entire superstructure in mid November 2011 even though the trackwork completion comes eight months before that.
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Post by Gokhan on Mar 5, 2010 15:23:52 GMT -8
It's been a long time we took a good look at the Expo construction. So, I've decided to take some pics today. We start at Venice/Robertson. I was shocked to see there are already a whopping twelve supports erected in the station area. It's hella elevated line. Call it The Los Angeles EL: There are two supports immediately south of Washington: There are three supports south of National and one on National. There is another support just north of National and it looks like one support is still missing between Washington and National. The total number of supports seem to be 20. Here is the Ballona Creek LRT bridge looking east: La Cienega bridge west ramp: La Brea bridge east ramp: And Vermont Ave looking toward USC: In about a year, the whole Expo Line will be more or less completed.
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Post by darrell on Mar 5, 2010 17:37:44 GMT -8
There are three supports south of National and one on National. There is another support just north of National and it looks like one support is still missing between Washington and National. The total number of supports seem to be 20. This Culver City plan from an Expo community meeting poster shows most of the columns. There's a single column on the far right - indicated by the aqua arrow pointing down - just west of National. The aerial structure splits in two there, and you can see three pairs of columns between that one and Washington. There are six more pairs of columns west of Washington. Add the one in the middle of National and three more east of National (not on this plan) for a total of 22, it seems, presuming this column layout is accurate.
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Post by Gokhan on Mar 7, 2010 5:24:48 GMT -8
OK, that's 23. I didn't know between Washington and National they were in pairs. Then there are three left -- all between Washington and National. For some reason they left this section to the end. Perhaps this is where there is interference with the future underground parking lot.
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