Construction Updates

[timquinn]

There was some action on the First Street bridge this week. They have installed K-walls along the North side between lane one and two. The lanes beneath the bridge on Santa Fe and the bit of First that runs along the North side of the bridge on the West end have been re-painted with new alignments.

This seems to be in preparation for beginning demolition. No action, that I can see, in or around the Citizen's Warehouse loft building adjacent to the Red Line yard. At least one third of that building is supposed to come down for the bridge widening. I would think that would happen first.

Widening of First East of Mission, East end of the bridge, is in full swing. It's going to be a wiiiiide street when they are done. South side of the street is finished with new fancy crosswalks at some intersections, new curbs all along.

[Elson]

The other week, while training for the L.A. Bike Tour, I biked from my House (Hollywood) to Cal State L.A. and back. On the way there I biked much of the length of the E.G.L. along 1st from Alameda to Indiana.

Is it true that where the line runs on the street that it runs on the north side of the street, rather than in the middle, (as in the Blue and Pasadena Gold lines?) I was under the impression that it ran in the middle of the 1st St. Bridge.

[Bart Reed]

Elson is right. The Eastside Gold Line will run in the middle of the 1st St. Bridge. Here is a copy of the construction report with plenty of photos that was given in February to the Metro Board Construction Committee. You can see that the Line will be grade separated from the street traffic over the bridge. Both at Alameda and Indiana the line will be located at the east side of the street, which you can see in the above PowerPoint.

[whitmanlam]

The Eastside Gold Line crossing the 1st street bridge is separated from street traffic, by a concrete curb on both sides. It's not exactly grade separated but at-grade with a dedicated right-of-way.

I think they will need a metal guardrail on top of the curbs to prevent cars from going over the center divider and into an oncoming train.

[Elson]

Okay, so it's going to look like the Blue Line along Washington Blvd.

I assumed it will run along the north side of the street, because the curbs have been demolished, but perhaps that is just a phase in the street-widening process.

[antonio]

actually I think the tracks will be raised a bit like the height of a curb and It will will have the feeling of near grade separation (this is the feeling the conceptual view gives me) so it's not quite like the street running on Washington but is of course in the median (its ROW is just more separate from traffic on the bridge than the Blue Line is on Washington).

The other street running sections of the Eastside line will be exactly like Washington and Long Beach Blvd. in Long Beach (more so like Long Beach because of longer blocks) except for the short sections at Alameda and Indiana where it will run on the east side of the street for a couple of blocks. I'd like to know more about the project though. I hope this thread does that. MTA's website is much too sparse on info for the GLEE as opposed to the wealth of info on Expo which has barely begun construction. see the raised curbs across the bridge

[Elson]

antonio said:

actually I think the tracks will be raised a bit like the height of a curb and It will will have the feeling of near grade separation (this is the feeling the conceptual view gives me) so it's not quite like the street running on Washington but is of course in the median (its ROW is just more separate from traffic on the bridge than the Blue Line is on Washington).

The other street running sections of the Eastside line will be exactly like Washington and Long Beach Blvd. in Long Beach (more so like Long Beach because of longer blocks) except for the short sections at Alameda and Indiana where it will run on the east side of the street for a couple of blocks. I'd like to know more about the project though. I hope this thread does that. MTA's website is much too sparse on info for the GLEE as opposed to the wealth of info on Expo which has barely begun construction. see the raised curbs across the bridge

Welcome to the new forum, Antonio!

[Elson]

Hey Moderator -

Please do not edit user posts unless there is obvious abuse. If you wanted to show a link, simply post a reply with the link.

[whitmanlam]

Would it be possible to run a Goldline spur down Whittier Blvd in East L.A.

That street is very pedestrian oriented and packed every day. Just what every urban planner wants to serve. Go see it for yourself guys, just off the 710 next to all those spooky cemetaries.

[bluelineshawn]

Pictures taken on Feb 25

View into the tunnel portal at 1st and the 101 fwy


View north on Alameda from 1st street

[latte]

I have a question. I hope it doesn't sound dumb. I live in East L.A. over by Third St. and Atlantic. I was wondering how the actual Station will be. In other words will the building be sitting on top of land or will be it underground? Will the train be above land as it starts out or will it be underground? I am so confused as to everything that is happening there.
I don't see much parking space there either.

Thanks

[Elson]

latte said:

I have a question. I hope it doesn't sound dumb. I live in East L.A. over by Third St. and Atlantic. I was wondering how the actual Station will be. In other words will the building be sitting on top of land or will be it underground? Will the train be above land as it starts out or will it be underground? I am so confused as to everything that is happening there.
I don't see much parking space there either.

Thanks

Hi Latte:

Your station will look kind of like this:






The underground section is only under 1st street between the 101 Freeway and Evergreen Cemetary.

More renderings of stations can be seen here:
www.metro.net/projects_programs/eastside/stations.htm

[latte]

Elson,

WOW! I can't picture all of that on the corner of Third st. and Atlantic Blvd. I want the construction to be over already. It's so confusing. One day you can drive on that lane and the next day it's a right turn only or it's a dead end! LOL...

Thanks for the info.

[Elson]

latte said:

Elson,

WOW! I can't picture all of that on the corner of Third st. and Atlantic Blvd. I want the construction to be over already. It's so confusing. One day you can drive on that lane and the next day it's a right turn only or it's a dead end! LOL...

Thanks for the info.

Hey, don't you go complaining! I live three blocks from the Vermont/Santa Monica subway station. We had construction going on for SIX YEARS! We had wooden-decked streets for a long time. Your station will be finished overnight by comparison! So quit yer whining!!! ;D

But after the dust settles, and the heavy machinery is gone, it'll be all worth it.

[latte]

I am NOT complaining. I am actually excited! I have worked Downtown L.A. for many years and have always wondered about something like this. The only reason I don't take the bus is because I have children that I take to school but once this project is finshed my kids will be OUT of high school! So it will work out great for me!

I have been seeing the changes it's starting to look nice. The whole East L.A. Civic Center is very nice with the new library and a city hall opening soon.

The only thing is we need to get the hispanic people to clean up after themselves! I hate the our streets are dirty, graffiti is a bigger problem lately. I think that if people clean up after themselves East L.A. would be a beautiful city.

(No offense to the hispanic race, I AM HISPANIC).

[whitmanlam]

Where will this train go after Atlantic / Pomona station ? Are there any plans to extend further East?

How about Montebello, or Rosemead. Now, there is some potential.

[Elson]

latte said:

The only thing is we need to get the hispanic people to clean up after themselves!

(No offense to the hispanic race, I AM HISPANIC).

Haha, for a minute there I thought you were a gentro.

[erict]

There are studies coming up on a east extension. Molina insisted upon them.

[Tony Fernandez]

Will the tracks run in the middle of a street the enitre way?

[roadtrainer]

Scoop! I will be the first to say that rails have been laid on the Eastside Gold line! Now just take a drive over to Downey and 3rd street. Better yet go Eastbound on the Pomona Freeway and when you get there just go slow and you will see where the rail has been laid in the middle of the street. All the other stuff is jost minor in relationship to see rails installed on the line. Thanks for listening*-** THE ROADTRAINER

[bluelineshawn]

That is a scoop!

Thanks for the news.

[antonio]

I'm in NYC right now where mass transit works and works well but this news makes me salivate and want to get back to Los Angeles ASAP. Visiting Princeton is my first priority right now though but as soon as that is done, I'm gonna go down and see the progress

[roadtrainer]

Where's Vicky and Lola? Have these old gals been put out to pasture? Does anyone know why the little ladies were allowed to go to work on the Aqua-Line? The Road Trainer

[bobdavis]

Coming back from the San Pedro Railroad Fest, I got off the 710 at 3rd St. and headed east to Atlantic. After a long period of not much happening, stations are starting to take shape, and bases for the trolley wire support poles have been built.

[Transit Coalition]

Construction Updates that are shown to the Metro Board of Directors will be available this Monday along with the weekly Transit Coalition eNewsletter. There are plenty of photos of construction progress.

If you don't subscribe to the weekly eNewsletter, you can view it on The Transit Coalition newsletter page.

[roadtrainer]

Thanks Bart for all you guys (TTC) do us Rail Fans,
sincerely The Road Trainer

[timquinn]

Ok, mark the date. May 3, 2007, jackhammers appeared on the First Street Bridge. They spent the day today removing the lamp posts along the North side. Jack hammering the base away and putting them down along the sidewalk, I would imagine to be re-used after reconstruction. They are ornate, appear to be bronze and evidently original.

Also we learned at the LARABA (Arts District business group) meeting on Tuesday night that the KOR group has sold the Citizen's Warehouse to the city. Also known as The Pickle Works, it is the building that is directly adjacent to the bridge on the west end. It is a designated Historic structure and, we were told, the work required to bring it up to code after a third is demolished would be prohibitively expensive. The city has not decided whether to tear it down all together or fix it up for a new use. Another possibility was that they would sell it to a non-profit that would take on the job of raising the money to bring it up to code and return it to use as artist's live-work lofts or a community art center. It may be that the land will become a park, this seems the likely outcome since it would cost least.

Anyway, work has begun in earnest on the bridge, finally. We were told serious demolition would begin in September.

[timquinn]

Well, some really serious demolition on the bridge tonight, Monday, May 7th. The railing and roadbed above Santa Fe on the North side are completely gone. Looks a bit like a war zone. Glad I am not living beside the bridge anymore, it's going to be noisy at night for a few months.

[latte]

They started digging along the Freeway overpass on Third street where it crosses with Downey Road. I can't imagine the train passing through that part of Third Street it's so narrow there. I guess I will have to wait until the finished product. LOL.. It's exciting to see how the construction is coming along.

[roadtrainer]

Well there digging out to fashion the roadway way for gravel and concrete ties and/or cemented rails like they did in the U-channel, I'm not up on the terminology but Bart can feel to correct and write down just what the same Hill the construction guys are doing! Sincerely The Road Trainer