Contract awarded for LA metro line

The Los Angeles Exposition Construction Authority has awarded a US$ 542 million contract for the design and construction of phase 2 of the Expo Corridor light rail project to a joint venture of Skanska and Rados. Parsons Brinckerhoff will design the project on behalf of Skanska/Rados.

The Expo Corridor will be a 15.2 mile (24.5 km) light rail link between the coastal suburb of Santa Monica and downtown Los Angeles. It will have 19 stations including the city's Exposition Park - hence the line's name - along with the University of Southern California, Mid-City, Crenshaw, Culver City and West Los Angeles.

Phase 1 of the scheme, covering the 8.5 mile (13.7 km) stretch between Santa Monica and Culver City, is due to open next year following an estimated US$ 930 million investment. The 6.6 mile (10.6 km) Phase 2 is expected to cost US$ 1.5 billion, and is due to open in 2015.

The Expo Corridor will include interchanges with the existing Blue, Red and Purple Los Angeles Metro lines. Funding for the project is coming from the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

When complete, the Expo Corridor line is expected to have a 46 minute journey time between Santa Monica and downtown. Traffic projects say that by 2030 it will carry an estimated 64000 passengers per day, making it one of the most heavily used light rail links in the US.