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News

Video: Watch Metro's Tunnel Boring Machine Begin Work Underneath Downtown

Oren Peleg

Published Mar 28, 2017 11:00 PM

Metro's Regional Connector project has entered a new stage of construction, thanks in part to Angeli, the tunnel boring machine. Angeli has begun digging the first of two tunnels that will help create 1.1 miles of the 1.9 mile Regional Connect joining the Expo, Blue, and Gold lines between the Little Tokyo station and the 7th Street/Metro Center station.

According to Metro, Angeli digs about 50 feet per day, and is expected to complete the first tunnel this summer, and the second tunnel by early 2018. The Regional Connector is set to open by 2021.

Fun note: the name "Angeli" was actually selected by an 8th grader who'd won a (tunnel boring machine naming) contest held by Metro.