L.A. Metro breaks ground on final Purple Line extension section
The third and final phase of Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s (L.A. Metro) Purple (D Line) Extension began with a ceremonial groundbreaking held on May 24.
The 2.5-mile, $3.6-billion project will build two new stations and connect Century City with Westwood/VA Hospital. Once the third phase is completed in 2027, Los Angeles and the Westside will be connected through nine miles of subway.
L.A. Metro is actively building the first two sections of the project with the 3.92-mile Section 1 breaking ground in 2014 and the 2.59-mile Section 2 breaking ground in 2018.
“The Purple Line Expansion is the key that will unlock our transportation future and open doors of opportunity across our city -- and today’s groundbreaking moves us one step closer to completely redefining our relationship with public transit,” said L.A. City Mayor and Metro Board Chair Eric Garcetti. “We promised Angelenos a world-class transit system when we passed Measure M, and this milestone is a clear indication of our commitment to make Los Angeles a more accessible, sustainable and inclusive city.”
The entire project is estimated to cost $9.5 billion with nearly half of the total project cost provided through the Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA) Capital Investment Grants Program and the Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA) loan program. Section 3 secured a $1.3-billion grant in 2020, Section 2 secured a $1.2-billion CIG Program grant along with a $307-million TIFIA loan and Section 1 received a $1.2-billion CIG Program loan and $856-million TIFIA loan.
“The Federal Transit Administration is proud to partner with Metro and the entire Los Angeles region to bring more transportation options to residents, veterans, students and visitors to the 2028 Summer Olympics through the Purple Line extension,” said FTA Deputy Administrator Nuria Fernandez. “This project is an excellent example of a transformational infrastructure investment that the Biden-Harris Administration supports. It will improve access and mobility for millions of people traveling in one of Los Angeles County’s most congested corridors.”
“Once completed, the Purple Line extension will not only ease the burden of commuting for tens of thousands of Angelenos, but it will also improve connectivity for veterans across the region traveling to and from the West Los Angeles VA Medical Center,” said U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla (D-CA). “I’m proud to see federal funding complement the great work that L.A. Metro is doing to bring the Purple Line to Westwood, and I look forward to working in Congress to bring additional federal resources needed to improve transportation in the greater Los Angeles region.”
Mischa Wanek-Libman | Group Editorial Director
Mischa Wanek-Libman is director of communications with Transdev North America. She has more than 20 years of experience working in the transportation industry covering construction projects, engineering challenges, transit and rail operations and best practices.
Wanek-Libman has held top editorial positions at freight rail and public transportation business-to-business publications including as editor-in-chief and editorial director of Mass Transit from 2018-2024. She has been recognized for editorial excellence through her individual work, as well as for collaborative content.
She is an active member of the American Public Transportation Association's Marketing and Communications Committee and served 14 years as a Board Observer on the National Railroad Construction and Maintenance Association (NRC) Board of Directors.
She is a graduate of Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism and Mass Communication.
