When the Regional Connector project is completed, three Metro light rail lines — the A (Blue), E (Expo) and L (Gold) — will finally be joined together via two 1.9-mile twin tunnels under DTLA (DownTown Los Angeles).

These three busy rail lines continue to offer service during construction of the USD1.756 billion Connector project, which is 65% complete. Passengers will be able to travel from Azusa to Long Beach and from East LA to Santa Monica without transferring, when it opens in 2022.

TBM Angeli, manufactured in Germany by Herrenknecht AG and launched in early 2017, completed  the second tunnel on 16/01/2018 - arriving beneath the intersection of Flower and 4th streets in downtown Los Angeles.   With the completion of the tunnels, construction has been turned toward completing the three underground stations Little Tokyo/Arts District, Historic Broadway and  Grand Av Arts/Bunker Hill and the last portion of rail tunnel under Flower Street.

The Little Tokyo/Arts District Station will be at 1st and Central and will replace the nearby Gold Line Little Tokyo/Arts District Station that is at street level and will be demolished. Near the future Little Tokyo/Arts District Station crews have started welding and distributing rail into the tunnels. Over 13.4 km (44,000 feet) of rail will make up the Regional Connector tracks that will create the one-seat ride across Los Angeles County. Each stick of rail measures 24.38 m (80 feet) in length and are welded together 121,92 m (400 feet) at a time, as they are distributed from the 1st St portal through the rest of the alignment.

The Historic Broadway Station, located at 2nd and Broadway , will serve the Broadway Corridor and the L.A. Civic Center.  At the future Historic Broadway Station, roof construction of the station has begun with the placement of concrete slabs. As construction rises level by level, placing of the roof will allow crews to then build the entrance structure of the station. Street restoration and back-filling of the station is anticipated to begin in the second half of 2020.

Crews are also nearing completion of concrete placement at the top half of the mined crossover cavern. The excavation of the cavern (18.29 m wide,9.14 m tall, and nearly 91.44 m long), under 2nd Street between Spring and Main streets, is one of the largest tunnelled excavations ever realized in Los Angeles. This feature of the alignment will allow trains to switch tracks between Little Tokyo/Arts District and Historic Broadway Stations for operations purposes, system maintenance, or in the event of an emergency. Connecting three light rail lines all built at different times is another big challenge.

The Grand Av Arts/Bunker Hill Station is located at 2nd and Hope — a short stroll from Disney Concert Hall, the Broad, the Music Center, MOCA and the Colburn School. It’s the deepest station on the project. Crews are nearing the roof level of the station. Once roof level decks are placed, waterproofing, rebar and concrete placement continues for the adjoining walls.  Meanwhile, in the adjacent tunnels between Bunker Hill and Broadway, crews continue installing floating slabs, on which the rail will be placed. 

Construction of the Flower Street tunnel box is steadily moving along with waterproofing, steel installation, and bi-weekly concrete pours. The Flower Street tunnel box will connect the two new tunnels to the Blue and Expo Line tracks at the existing 7th St/Metro Center Station.

The  tunnel roof has reached completion between 4th and 5th St and walls continue to rise between 5th and 6th St. The stretch of tunnel box between 6th St and the connection to the 7th/Metro Center Station will be the next focus of concrete pours as this section rises to the final level that track will be laid on.