On July 28, the Metro D Line, also known as the Purple Line, construction workers will be paving the roadway at worksites along South Lasky Drive, Charleville Boulevard, and Spalding Drive. Street closures are expected to run through July 29.
Although construction surrounding the upcoming D Line is not new in Beverly Hills, as work around the subway’s “Section One” nears completion, the city is going to see more of the dynamic construction environment. At the Wilshire/Fairfax station, just outside of the city, efforts are transitioning to the start of permanent street restoration. That leaves the completion of the Beverly Hills Wilshire/ La Cienega station as the final task before the big opening of Section One, currently set to open in 2024.
Before street restoration can begin, the decking on the Fairfax station’s roof must be removed. Commencing in September, the process is scheduled to be finished in mid-De- cember and will require a full closure of
Wilshire Boulevard between La Brea Avenue and Fairfax Avenue for the first seven weeks. Eastbound Wilshire Boulevard will be detoured northbound onto Fairfax Boulevard and then eastbound onto 6th Street. Westbound travelers will follow the same detours.
Despite the upcoming detours, this is considered a milestone for the subway’s devel- opment. “This is a sign of progress,” said Ned Racine, construction relations specialist, at a community briefing on July 26. “This step is taken when the station reaches a certain level of completion. By removing the decking and paving it, it means that material doesn’t need to be added to this station.”
Additionally, Metro is trying to work with the community to avoid impeding everyday life. “We will have noise mitigation up around, not only our work zones but around some of our noisier equipment,” said Scott Donohue, a design builder for Section One.
“We’ve also managed to schedule this out, so the noisiest work won’t be done until the daytime.”
Once completed, Section One of the D Line will continue to Beverly Hills from the already servicing Wilshire/Wiltern station, adding nearly four miles to the current D Line. The second Beverly Hills station will be the first station of Section Two, slated to open in 2025.
However, the people of Beverly Hills have not completely agreed with whether or not the stations will be good for the community. At a City Council meeting on July 19, the Council gave permission to City Manager George Chavez to pursue additional BHPD support at the future sta- tions, due to concerns around public safety. Others were upset at the initial closures on Wilshire Boulevard and how construction has affected the community in general.
Regardless, the D Line will add over nine miles to the current route, spanning from Koreatown to West LA. The subway is expected to be complete and ready in 2027, just in time for the Olympics in L.A. Until then, construction along Wilshire Boulevard is here to stay.
