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MTA Board Approves $1.3B Construction Of Crenshaw/LAX Line

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — There will be a new way to take a train to the plane.

The MTA board of directors on Thursday approved a $1.3 construction contract for a Crenshaw to LAX rail line.

The new line will traverse Baldwin Hills, Leimert Park, Crenshaw Plaza, the Forum, and Inglewood en route to LAX.

The 8.5-mile line will be constructed by Walsh/Shea Corridor Constructors.

The MTA board also approved a $160 million contingency fund, for a total budget of nearly $2.06 billion, according to Metro. The project is one of 12 funded by Measure R, the half-cent sales tax voters approved five years ago.

Utility work has already begun, major construction will begin in the spring. The project should be complete in 2019, said officials.

"This has been a decades-long, monumental effort by an array of elected officials, community advocates and Metro staff," county Supervisor and Metro board member Mark Ridley-Thomas said. "We did this together and now we are poised to being construction on a dream that will help millions."

(©2013 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)

 

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