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Remember, in February, when we told you that Purple Line construction was going to shut down Wilshire Boulevard for 22 weekends this summer while Metro excavate the area that will one day become the Wilshire/La Brea subway station?
Well, the time for closure now upon us. Weekend closures of Wilshire in the Miracle Mile area will begin on the evening of Friday, June 10th at 8 p.m., and will continue for 22 weeks (with a few holiday weekends excluded), according to Metro's blog The Source. The closures are necessary to give Metro time to build what's called a "concrete deck." The completed deck will eventually allow vehicular traffic on Wilshire to flow unimpeded over the train station's construction site. Streets will be fully reopened by 6 a.m. on Monday mornings.
The closures are going to be divided up into three different phases. The first phase will shut down Wilshire between Detroit Avenue and La Brea Avenue for three weekends in June. The second shuts down the Wilshire/La Brea intersection itself, and the third will shutter Wilshire between La Brea and Highland Avenue. There will be no work on either the Fourth of July or Labor Day weekends. Wilshire will, thus, be open.
While the closures do not seal off accessibility to any residences or businesses, they do impede through traveling traffic, which will be required to detour. It's also important to note that the closures will involve construction work that partially closes both Wilshire and La Brea outside of the above designated hours. Metro's project website mentions that traffic on Wilshire will be reduced to 1-lane in either direction by 10 a.m. on the Friday preceding phase one and phase three construction closures. La Brea will be similarly reduced to 1-lane in either direction by 10 a.m. on the Friday before phase 2 constructions.
Below is a map of the detour Metro recommends for avoiding the first phase during three weekends in June:
Phase two will shut down the Wilshire/La Brea intersection itself, prompting both North/South and East/West detours for its three weekends through July:
The final phase will shut down Wilshire between Highland Avenue and La Brea for ten weekends (with the exception of the Labor Day holiday weekend) beginning on July 29, according to Metro. Here's the detour:
Wilshire will be reduced to one lane in each direction at 10 a.m. on every Friday during Phase 3 work. Full closure of Wilshire between La Brea and Highland begins each Friday at 8 p.m. and will continue until each Monday at 6 a.m. More information can be found here.
Note: This post was updated to include more information about the final phase of construction.
