After months of dealing with no access from any direction through the intersection of First Avenue at Santa Clara Street, construction work for the Metro Gold Line foothill extension light rail line the work is complete and the intersection re-opened over the weekend.
The intersection was closed for construction of Gold Line light rail tracks diagonally across the intersection from the northwest corner where a new train station is being built to the southeast corner where the tracks continue on to Azusa as part of an 11.5-mile extension to be open for riders in late 2016.
Since the intersection closure in early September, Metro Gold Line Foothill Extension Construction Authority crews completed utility relocations, set light rail tracks and grade crossing panels, graded and built new sidewalks, paved the roadway, installed anchors for permanent signage, and installed traffic foundations, conduit and signal poles and installed enhanced crosswalks, as part of the overall station area improvements planned in cooperation with the City.
This is the only at-grade (or street level) crossing in the city of Arcadia, and is one of only six remaining at-grade crossings to be finished for the 11.5-mile project.
Gold Line officials said today that work on the at-grade crossing was completed late last month. Final work last week included striping (painting), decorative crosswalks, which are made up of pavers. Crossing gates for vehicles and pedestrians will not be installed until much later in the process.
Meanwhile, the framework of the canopy at the new Arcadia station was installed last week.
The work on the northwest corner of the same intersection at First Avenue and Santa Clara is one of four prominent and highly-trafficked areas currently under construction and where progress on Saturday, March 8, was obvious. All work in Arcadia is on schedule to be complete by fall 2015, though the train is not expected to be operation until well into 2016.
- The station canopy structure is the second of the six stations to reach this milestone, according to Gold Line officials.
- Lanes were paved this week under the new bridge on Santa Anita Avenue near La Porte Street and landscaping has been added to the median north and south of the bridge.
- Work has begun to add another set of tracks over Huntington Drive at Second Avenue. The northbound right turn lane has been closed although right turns are still allowed for the time being. But be prepared as traffic is already backing up further than usual in the lane that now serves as both a right-turn and northbound thru-lane.
