Expo Line 2

Phase 2 of the Expo Line light rail in Los Angeles allows riders to travel from downtown to the beach in Santa Monica via rail.

Location

Los Angeles, California, USA

Client

Exposition Construction Authority

Project Status

Completed in 2016

Awards

2016 John L. Martin Partnered Project of the Year—Ruby Level, International Partnering Institute
2016 Presidential Honoree Building Team of the Year Award, American Institute of Architects

From Downtown to the Beach

When phase 2 of the Expo Line light rail opened on May 20, 2016 in Los Angeles, it heralded a new era of rail service to the Pacific Ocean that hasn’t been available since the closing of Pacific Electric Streetcar’s Santa Monica Air Line in 1953.

The Expo Line allows Los Angelinos to ride the train from downtown Los Angeles to Santa Monica, just a few blocks from the beach, in 47 minutes.

The Phase 2 extension, 6.6 miles of new light rail and seven new stations from Culver City to Santa Monica, extended the Expo Line to 15.2 miles. Phase 1 of the Expo Line, 8.6 miles from downtown to Culver City, opened in April 2012.

The Expo Line serves neighborhoods on the city’s Westside including Exposition Park, Century City, West Los Angeles and Westwood, and offers an alternative to travel on the congested Interstate 10 freeway.

Key Numbers

First-Day Ridership

12,000 12,000

Miles, Phase 2

6.6 6.6

Stations

7 7

Time from Downtown to Santa Monica

47 minutes 47 minutes

On Time and on Budget

Working on behalf of the joint venture of Skanska USA and Rados Construction Inc., WSP USA served as the prime designer for all elements of the project, excluding train control, communications, parking structure and the maintenance facility.

The Skanska-Rados joint venture was awarded a design-build contract for the Phase 2 extension in 2011 by the Exposition Construction Authority, which was created by the state legislature to oversee the planning, design and construction of the Expo Line.

The Expo Authority turned the completed line over to the Los Angeles Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro), which owns and operates it.

Design for the $600 million Phase 2 extension began in May 2011 and was completed in November 2012. Design was completed ahead of schedule to facilitate an early construction start, which resulted in delivery of the project on time and within budget.