Regional Connector Constructors (RCC) work crews under contract to the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) will begin a series of full weekend closures along Flower Street in downtown Los Angeles between 3rd and 5th Streets in order to perform cut and cover/decking activities for the Regional Connector Transit Project.
The first of up to 14-weekend closures will begin on Friday, Oct. 14, 2016 at 7 p.m. and will remain in place through 5 a.m. on Monday, Oct. 17. The weekend closure of Flower Street will occur every weekend through Feb. 13, 2017, excluding Veterans Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year holiday weekends.
The work to be done, known in the construction industry as “cut and cover”, will include the removal of the roadway, installation of steel beams and a temporary installation of deck panels. The deck panels will serve as a temporary roadway to facilitate excavation and construction of the project’s underground tunnel box for the light rail project while maintaining access to traffic using Flower Street.
During the initial six-weekends, lower 4th Street from Figueroa to Flower Street will also be closed. Local access to businesses in the area will be maintained and construction flaggers will be onsite to facilitate access. Pedestrian access will be maintained outside the construction area.
Detours in effect during the weekend closure will take traffic off of Flower Street and detour to Grand Avenue at 1st Street then to 5th Street and back to Flower Street. An alternate route to southbound Flower Street traffic will be detoured westbound at 3rd Street to Beaudry, then to 6th Street and back onto Flower Street.
For local access to the World Trade Center and Bank of American, motorists will need to enter at 3rd Street and Flower. For the J2 Garage, Citigroup Center and The Bonaventure Hotel, motorists will need to enter at 5th Street and Flower. Drivers must make a right turn onto Flower Street from 5th Street. A construction flagger will on onsite to assist motorists during the weekend closures.
The $1.55 billion Regional Connector Transit Project is a 1.9-mile underground light-rail extension that will connect the Blue, Expo and Gold Lines in downtown Los Angeles and will include three new stations at 1st Street/Central Avenue, 2nd Street/Broadway and 2nd Place/Hope Street. The rail line is expected to serve 88,000 riders daily – including 17,000 new riders – and save commuters up to 20 minutes by reducing the need to transfer. The connector will provide a one-seat, one fare ride for commuters from Azusa to Long Beach and from East Los Angeles to Santa Monica. Completion of construction for the project is 2021.
The new Metro rail extension will offer an alternative transportation option to congested roadways, provide significant environmental benefits and spur economic development throughout the County. Through improved connectivity, riders will be better able to use the entire Metro Rail system, municipal bus lines and other regional transportation services.
