Metro’s three-week shutdown of a stretch of Wilshire Boulevard was completed a day ahead of schedule, as crews finished restoring the original roads and utilities that were taken out in 2020 in favor of temporary concrete “decks” for underground work.
Approved by the Beverly Hills City Council in early February, the street closure between El Camino Drive and Crescent Drive was intended to allow construction on a Wilshire/Rodeo station, part of the D Line extension project. One of two new stops in the second phase of the project, the station is expected to debut in 2026.
Metro spokesperson Dave Sotero told the Courier that the allocated “contingency weekends” in late April and May to address unforeseen issues would not be needed.
According to a Feb. 18 Beverly Hills press release, Metro and the city had reached a deal in 2019 on construction across a series of 18 weekends. The two sides later agreed to a 21-day shutdown between March 17 and April 7—the longest continuous period since the COVID-19 pandemic—to “shorten the overall disruption to the community.”
While local establishments were permitted to remain open, the transportation project led to a relative paucity of customers. Some business owners and managers expressed frustration to the Courier about disruptions to their operations.
“They should’ve removed that equipment during the night,” said Michelle Cregan, owner of Total Body Nutrition of Beverly Hills, located on South Beverly Drive less than 500 feet from Wilshire. “I don’t believe there was any consideration for the businesses.”
Cregan estimated her store’s guests and sales had been more than halved by the third week. Her other main grievance concerned the city’s signage, which she described as “like a maze.” Although there were large road closure markers advertising the restricted street, she said the banners conveying that businesses would remain open were not visible enough from the north and south.
According to Sotero, Metro “directly received” seven complaints and inquiries during the closure period, most of which concerned detours and altered bus stops. As feedback was divided between city and Metro officials, the total number of messages filtered through the company included four from commercial properties, three from residents, two from businesses and an unspecified amount from others who work or use public transportation in the area.
