A major renovation project on a stretch of the Metro Blue Line is proceeding nearly on schedule, with a service suspension from the 103rd Street/Watts Towers Station to the Downtown Long Beach Station set to end on June 1, followed by a closure on the northern portion, it was announced Monday.
As part of the $350 million modernization project, rail service was suspended in late January from the 103rd Street/Watts Towers Station to the Downtown Long Beach Station. Trains in the closure area have been replaced by a shuttle bus service. The Blue Line has continued to run between the Seventh Street/Metro Center Station in downtown Los Angeles and the 103rd Street/Watts Towers Station.
Blue Line service is scheduled to be suspended from June 1 through September between the Compton Station and the Seventh Street/Metro Center Station downtown. Bus shuttles will again be used in the closure area to replace train service.
The Blue Line will operate between the Compton Station and downtown Long Beach. During that phase of the project, service on the Metro Expo Line -- which shares tracks with the Blue Line in part of downtown Los Angeles -- will be suspended for 45 days at the Seventh Street/Metro Center and Pico stations.
Work to modernize the Blue Line, which is Metro's oldest rail line at 28 years, has been ongoing since 2014 and includes improvements to the signaling, tracks and the overhead wires that deliver electricity to trains, according to Metro. Four new crossover tracks will be built to reduce service interruptions, and a number of station improvements are also slated to be part of the project, including new digital map cases, signage, paint and landscaping.
