Delays Expected At Some Blue Line Stations

LOS ANGELES (CBS) — Construction of the Metro Expo Line is expected to cause travel delays of up to 40 minutes on the Metro Blue Line over the next two weekends.

The San Pedro, Grand Avenue, Pico/Chick Hearn, and 7th/Metro Center stations will be affected.

Construction is scheduled to begin at 9 p.m. Friday and will continue until early Monday morning this weekend as well as next weekend.

Metro officials said a "bus bridge" will parallel the train route during the construction period.

Bus service will run between the Washington Station and the 7th Street Blue Line stations every 15 to 20 minutes Friday night, every five to 10 minutes on Saturday and Sunday and every 15 minutes after 8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

Service between the Washington Station and Long Beach will not be affected.

The Expo Line is an 8.5-mile light rail line under construction between downtown Los Angeles and Culver City. It will share tracks and two stations with the Blue Line along the Flower Street portion of the alignment. The segment from downtown to Crenshaw Boulevard could open as soon as 2011.

For more information on the Expo Line construction, call (213) 922-3976.

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