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Metro subway construction to cause weekend closures along Wilshire
FILE: The Purple and Red Line subway station at 7th Street/Metro Center Station in Downtown L.A.
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If you've got plans to take in some weekend culture in Mid-City's Museum Row this summer, you could be in for a bit of a traffic snarl.
Due to ongoing construction on the Purple Line subway extension, L.A.'s Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) will be closing parts of Wilshire Boulevard in the Miracle Mile area every weekend for 22 weeks starting June 10.
Crews will be tearing up parts of the street and placing temporary concrete decking on top to accommodate car traffic while construction on the subway station continues below.
The work will move in three phases every weekend from Fridays at 8 p.m. to Mondays at 6 a.m., excluding the holiday weekends of July 4 and Labor Day.
Phase 1: Three weekend closures between Detroit Street and La Brea Avenue. Detour via 6th Street and Fairfax Avenue.
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Phase 2: Three weekend closures at Wilshire/La Brea intersection. Detour via Highland Avenue, 6th Stret and Fairfax Avenue.
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Phase 3: 16 weekend closures between La Brea Avenue and Highland Avenue. Detour via 6th Street and Highland Avenue or 6th Street and La Brea Avenue.
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If previous construction is any indication, Metro is likely to encounter some interesting finds while digging in this paleontological hotspot. The agency has reached an agreement with the nearby Page Museum at the La Brea Tar Pits to house and study any fossils unearthed.
The Purple Line subway currently ends in Koreatown at Wilshire Boulevard and Normandie Avenue. Metro plans to extend it all the way down Wilshire Boulevard to Westwood by 2035. The portion between the Normandie and La Cienega stations is set to open in 2023.
Metro is seeking funding to accelerate construction by 10 years with a potential sales tax increase on the November ballot and federal funds.
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