STV launches a “boring” journey

Written by William C. Vantuono, Editor-in-Chief
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STV, engineer of record and principal design firm for the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) Purple Line Project, will shortly begin to witness two state-of-the-art tunnel boring machines (TBMs) at work on the project’s 2.6-mile-long Section 2 extension.

STV is part of the design-build team led by Tutor Perini and O&G Industries. The Purple Line Section 2 extension will link Section 1, running through the Miracle Mile District, with Section 3 connecting Century City to Westwood. Overall, the $6.3 billion Purple Line extension will run 9.1 miles from Koreatown to Westwood.

STV’s services include the design of stations at Beverly Hills and Century City along with the running tunnels. The firm also engineered and designed the so-called “launch box” in Century City, where the two 400-foot-long TBMs will be lowered into excavations extending more than 70 feet below Constellation Boulevard to begin their 14-month journeys.

The construction of the Beverly Hills and Century City stations will use a cut-and-cover method to build entrances, platforms and concourses along with additional space for power, ventilation systems and communications. STV will also be providing engineering and design services for the trackwork, traction power, train contro, and communications systems.

Section 1 of the Purple Line is nearly one-third complete and is scheduled to open in 2023. Section 2 is expected to be completed by 2025, with Section 3 scheduled to open shortly after in 2026. Once completed, the subway ride from downtown Los Angeles to Westwood is expected to take about 25 minutes.

“Our firm has been involved in the planning and design of the Los Angeles Metro since its inception more than 30 years ago,” said STV Senior Vice President David Borger, P.E. “I’ve spent much of my career watching it become a reality, and it’s amazing to see how it’s transformed our city and how people get around. I’m eager to see how this extension will continue that process.”

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