LA Metro Purple Line Extension Nabs $100M In Fed Funds
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA/AP) — The U.S. Department of Transportation has announced approximately $180 million in funding for two Southern California rail transit projects.
The department's Federal Transit Administration said Wednesday that an extension of Los Angeles' Purple Line subway will receive $100 million and the San Diego Mid-Coast Light Rail project will receive about $80 million in fiscal year 2018 funds.
Phase 3 of the Purple Line project is a 2.6-mile (4.2-kilometer) heavy rail extension from Century City to Westwood and a Veterans Affairs hospital that includes two stations and 16 vehicles. The total project cost is $3.7 billion with $1.3 billion in funding requested through the FTA's Capital Investments Grants Program.
In September, the Federal Transit Administration avoided any delays by approving Metro's request to be reimbursed for early work activities on the project.
The tunneling bids were at risk to expire on Oct. 3, and the FTA's approval avoided the need to re-bid the tunnel contract, saving an additional $200 million in projected escalation costs and a nearly two-year project delay, Metro officials said.
The Purple Line extension's first two sections are under construction between Wilshire/Western and Century City. Those two extensions have already received federal funding.
The San Diego project is a 10.9-mile light rail extension from downtown San Diego to the University City area.
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