Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa says crews are nearly finished drilling 70 holes across the city's west side -- the first step in building the long-awaited subway to the sea.
Villaraigosa said Thursday that crews had to dig up to 80 feet into the ground to assess soil conditions before tunneling could start. He said the drilling marked the first step in a decade-long process to build a crucial subway line across the city to Santa Monica.
He says the project will provide about 16,000 construction jobs and promises to reduce traffic in one of the most congested areas of Los Angeles County.
The line is expected to cost between $6 billion and $9 billion, depending on whether a segment across West Hollywood is included.
Copyright The Associated Press
