The Crenshaw/LAX Rail Line Project will begin construction work to tie-in the new train tracks with the Metro Green Line near Aviation/LAX Station on Friday, January 26. The work will require the closure of five Green Line stations through Saturday, April 7, with bus service replacing rail service at those stations.
The following stations will be closed: Aviation/LAX, Mariposa, El Segundo, Douglas and Redondo Beach. Work will begin at 9 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 26, and will continue 24/7 until 3 a.m. on Saturday, April 7.
Regular Green Line service will continue between Norwalk and Hawthorne/Lennox stations. A free shuttle bus will run between Hawthorne/Lennox Station and the five closed Green Line Stations.
The shuttle bus will run every six minutes during weekday peak periods and every 15 minutes during midday hours and weekends. Metro recommends passengers plan commute times in advance and allow extra time. Metro will deploy customer service rail ambassadors to assist passengers at both the Hawthorne/Lennox and Aviation stations from 5:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and on weekends.
The LAX G Shuttle that runs between the Green Line and the passenger terminals at LAX will move from Aviation/LAX Station to the Hawthorne/Lennox Station. Uber and Lyft will also have a temporary stop to pick up and drop customers as well as Big Blue Bus Line 3.
“LAX is one of America’s gateways to the world, and this new connection brings us one step closer to linking it seamlessly with communities across our region,” said Metro Board Chair and Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti. “This new Metro light-rail line will ease congestion and transform the way Angelenos and visitors access LAX.”
The 8.5-mile Crenshaw/LAX Line is a $2.058-billion light rail line that will run between the Expo Line and Green Line with eight new stations to serve the Crenshaw, Inglewood and LAX communities. The Measure R-funded project is expected to open in 2019.
“I am grateful to members of the public for their incredible patience and flexibility while this significant construction work is taking place,” Metro Board Member and Los Angeles County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas said. “When this light rail line opens in 2019, communities along the alignment will benefit from greatly improved mobility, which we are confident will outweigh the short-term impacts of construction.”
Construction work will involve building new switches that will connect the Metro Green Line and new Crenshaw/LAX Line. The closure will also give Metro the opportunity to do important “State of Good Repair” maintenance work on the segment of the Green Line that will be closed.
“We are in the process of building a 21st century transportation system that will ultimately connect people and communities across LA County,” said Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn. “However, expanding our current system means major construction and inconveniencing our current Metro riders. Green Line riders should be prepared for these temporary station closures and the effect they will have on their commutes. Be sure to plan ahead, allow for extra time, and use the free shuttles between stations.”
Green Line trains will not be able to access the Green Line’s maintenance yard in Lawndale during the closure. Instead trains will be cleaned and maintained at the Norwalk Station.
“This work is a major milestone that gets us a step closer to opening the Crenshaw/LAX Line in the fall of 2019,” said Metro CEO Phillip A. Washington. “Connecting these lines will provide easy access to Metro’s rail system for residents of the Crenshaw Corridor, Inglewood, Westchester and LAX communities.”
Metro security officers will monitor rail equipment and the Metro Skywatch tower, manned by law enforcement, will be deployed 24 hours a day at the Norwalk Station to provide “an eye in the sky” and real-time video surveillance.
Bus service to closed stations
Metro Bus and municipal operators will continue servicing the five stations to be closed during the 71 days of construction work.
Aviation/LAX Station: Metro Bus lines 120, 625 and 40, Santa Monica Big Blue Bus 3, BBB Rapid 3, Beach City Transit 109, Culver City Bus 6, Culver City Rapid 6, Gardena Transit 5 and Los Angeles Department of Transportation (LADOT) Commuter Express 438.
Mariposa Station: Metro Bus line 232 and Torrance Transit 8.
El Segundo Station: LADOT Commuter Express 574 and Torrance Transit 8.
Douglas Station: Metro Bus line 125, Beach City Transit 109 and Amtrak California Throughway.
Redondo Beach Station: Metro Bus lines 126 and 211, Beach City Transit 102, LADOT Commuter Express 438 and 574, Gardena Transit 1X and Lawndale Beat Residential Express routes.
For more information on the Crenshaw/LAX Transit Project go to metro.net/Crenshaw or join us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/CrenshawRail and on Twitter at https://twitter.com/crenshawrail or call the project hotline (213) 922-3864.