On March 2, the Beverly Hills City Council held a Regular Meeting during which it approved a request by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) to implement additional lane reductions along Wilshire Blvd and side street closures. The request was approved to facilitate the construction of multiple underground appendage structures, such as emergency exits, utility rooms, ventilation shafts and more for Section 1 (La Cienega Station) of the Metro D Line, formerly known as the Purple Line Extension subway project. Beginning this month through approximately the third quarter of 2023, Wilshire Boulevard between La Cienega Boulevard and San Vicente Boulevard will be reduced to two lanes in each direction, along with temporary full and partial closures of N. Gale Drive at Wilshire Boulevard. The lane reductions would be in place for 20 months, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
“It would include two phases within this phase one, phase 1A and phase 1B, which would require a full closure of North Gale for approximately four months out of those 20 months,” Rob Welch, project manager for the city, said during the meeting. “Followed by a directional closure, so a southbound closure of North Gale for seven months out of those 20 months. It would also include sidewalk closures.”
