Metro has signed a contract with Regional Connector Constructors JV (Regional Connector Constructors) led by Skanska USA Civil West California District Inc. (Skanska), in partnership with Traylor Bros., Inc. (Traylor) to design and build the Regional Connector Transit Project in Los Angeles.
The EUR1.47 bn (USD1.55 bn) Regional Connector Transit Project, a 3.06 km (1.9-mile) fully underground line, will connect the following three new underground stations from Little Tokyo to the Financial District in downtown Los Angeles: 1st Street/Central Av in Little Tokyo, 2nd Street/Broadway in the Civic Center and 2nd Place/Hope St in Bunker Hill.
On 19.10.2016 in Little Tokyo in down town LA at the 1st/Central Station the ceremonial naming and lowering of a segment of the TBM, named Angeli took place. This TBM will dig twin 1.1-mile underground light-rail tunnels that will connect the Metro Blue, Expo and Gold Lines allowing passengers to travel seamlessly about LA County from Long Beach to Azusa and East Los Angeles to Santa Monica.
Angeli is Latin for the word “angels” and shares the name given to the city of Los Angeles, the City of Angels. “Angeli” represents the angel needed to complete this important project that greatly improves Los Angeles transportation. The TBM, weighs 1t and has a length of 137.16 m (450 feet), a diameter 6.55 m (21.5 feet), and was manufactured in Germany by Herrenknecht AG. TBM Angeli, took three months to assemble and test and has begun its journey in 2017 from the northeast corner of 1st and Alameda streets in Little Tokyo, digging the tunnel for the northbound tracks to 4th and Flower streets in the Financial District in downtown Los Angeles. From there, the TBM will be retrieved from underground and returned to Little Tokyo, where it will be re-launched to excavate the second tunnel , the southbound tunnel to the Financial District. The expected advancement should be 18.29 m (60 feet) per day and will take approximately 5 to 6 months to build one tunnel, 16 to 18 months to excavate the twin 1.1-mile tunnels. Metro anticipates its biggest ever light rail project to be completed by 2021. For further information please visit https://www.metro.net/projects/connector/ and http://www.teamrcc.com/. 10/17.
