Construction of the 9.1-mile, $1.6 billion Foothill Gold Line Extension light-rail project in the eastern San Gabriel Valley is nearly two-thirds complete, with most of the bridge and grade crossing work done, according to a year-end wrap from the rail line construction authority.
That progress keeps the project on track to complete construction in the first quarter of 2025 and turn the rail line back over to the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority for train car testing and ultimately taking on passengers.
The rail line construction is being led by a joint venture of Omaha, Nebraska-based Kiewit Corp. and Centreville, Virginia-based Parsons Corp. When this construction phase is complete, the eastern terminus of the Gold Line will move from its current location in Azusa to Pomona. The Gold Line begins at Union Station in downtown Los Angeles.
Another 3.2-mile extension to take the Foothill Gold Line across the San Bernardino County line to Montclair has yet to be fully funded. That segment was broken off from the original project in 2018.
The Dec. 28 report from the Foothill Gold Line Extension Construction Authority said overall construction was 63% complete. But that’s not 63% across the board. Some portions of the project, such as grade crossings and bridge construction/upgrades, are almost entirely complete. Kiewit-Parsons-led crews have largely wrapped up work on 20 out of 21 at-grade crossings and 18 out of 19 new or renovated bridges.
But construction is only about 25% complete on the four new stations on the route in Glendora, San Dimas, La Verne and Pomona. Construction on the main platform at one of those stations – Pomona – has yet to begin.
Nonetheless, the construction update said work is proceeding on schedule for all four stations to be completely built by the end of this year.
Another major portion of the construction – the actual laying of rail track – is also 63% complete. Also, six of eight power substations for the electrical systems have been built, with the remaining two scheduled for completion by the end of this year.
“The Foothill Gold Line (Extension) is now nearly two-thirds complete and the vision of making light rail service available for more of the San Gabriel Valley is drawing ever closer,” Foothill Gold Line Board Chairman and Claremont Mayor Ed Reece said in the update.
The December report from the authority also contained an update on obtaining the funds for the 3.1-mile extension to Montclair, which has seen its projected cost balloon from $550 million in late 2018 to roughly $800 million today.
Later this month the California State Transportation Agency is supposed to issue its decision on whether to fully fund this segment.
When the Foothill Gold Line Construction Authority and Metro applied for the funding last year, the state budget was flush with some $98 billion in surplus funds. The state is now facing a projected deficit of $22.5 billion for the 2023-24 fiscal year. That has added uncertainty over funding requests.
Given this uncertainty, authority officials are restating their case for the funding.
“The Pomona to Montclair segment is the final segment of a 25-station system that has been underway since the early 1990s,” Habib Balian, the construction authority’s chief executive, said in the update. “It is shovel-ready and can be completed across county lines into San Bernardino County in five years once funding is secured.”
