Foothill Gold Line E-News

September 2020

Construction Updates: Three Active Grade Crossing Reconstructions (Glendora and San Dimas); First Rail Delivery Complete; Project Update Video

Installing conduit to house communication lines at Gladstone St. crossing in San Dimas

Kiewit-Parsons (KPJV) crews are now actively reconstructing three railroad crossings along the corridor: Barranca Ave. and Glendora Ave. in Glendora, and Gladstone St. in San Dimas.

As part of the Gladstone St. crossing reconstruction, which began in mid-July (and will continue through the end of October, see more details below), crews have made significant progress relocating and protecting numerous underground utilities, including storm drains and water, sewer, gas and communications lines (see photo above).

At the Barranca Ave. and Glendora Ave. crossing reconstructions, which began in late August, crews successfully demolished the curbs, gutters, medians, roadways and sidewalks on both sides of the railroad crossings, while maintaining access to the freight track for continued service. At Glendora Ave., the unused southern freight track was also removed (see photo below). Crews are now relocating and protecting underground utilities at both crossings (see photo below).

A tremendous amount of work, time and effort is required to rebuild each grade crossing. We appreciate the patience and understanding of project neighbors and the larger community who have been impacted by the construction.

Removing unused freight track at Glendora Ave. crossing in Glendora

Relocating utilities at Barranca Ave. crossing in Glendora

Closure of Gladstone St. at Railroad Crossing Extended to October 30

The Gladstone St. grade crossing closure is being extended four weeks to allow for all necessary improvement work to be completed during this first street closure. Initially, KPJV had planned to come back later in the project to install the light rail tracks and complete related work, which would have required a second extended closure. With the recent delivery of rail (see below), KPJV will be able to complete all crossing work during this first closure, eliminating the need for the second closure.

Click here to see the updated closure notice.

First Rail Delivery Complete

Recently, a 2,000-foot-long specialty rail delivery train was brought to the project to deliver and place 50, 1,600-foot-long sticks of rail at various locations along the 9.1-mile corridor. This first delivery was mostly comprised of rail for the freight track relocation, with just a few sticks for the light rail system. Two more rail delivery trains are anticipated for the project; the next one is anticipated late next year (see photos below). NOTE: it is hard to capture how this train works in photos, so we hope you will take a few minutes to watch this month’s video and see the train in action.

To see more about these activities, along with other progress along the project corridor over the past month: Click here or below to watch this past month’s project update highlight video.

LA VERNE RESIDENTS: Upcoming Long-Term Closure of Wheeler Ave. at Railroad Crossing Begins Oct. 13

Beginning October 13, crews will be reconstructing the railroad crossing at Wheeler Ave. in La Verne. This activity will require a full closure of the street at the railroad crossing for vehicles and pedestrians for three months. Look out for a Construction Alert in your inbox in the coming weeks with more information on the work ahead, including available detours. Local access to homes and businesses on Wheeler Ave., north and south of the closure, will be maintained at all times.

If you know of anyone who may be impacted by the upcoming construction, please encourage them to sign up now to receive construction alerts by going to foothillgoldline.org and signing up.

POMONA RESIDENTS: Submit Your Pomona “Hero” to Be Featured at the Pomona Gold Line Station

Sample rendering of future Pomona Gold Line Station artwork

The Construction Authority is issuing a public call for nominations for Pomona residents, past and present, to be featured in the artwork at the future Pomona Gold Line Station. The campaign is part of the public artwork plan developed by the city-selected station artist, Stephen Farley, who seeks to highlight Pomona residents who served as inspirations in the community.

From Stephen Farley:

Who inspired you? For whom are you grateful? Who changed your life? They could be known to many, or just to you. Other cities have a hall of fame. The future Pomona Gold Line station will have a hall of gratitude. The Pomonans to be honored will be selected from those submitted through this public call to all Pomona residents.

Words expressing the power of these people will be exhibited alongside their photos. An example could be: “Norma showed me the power of love”. The artwork will be fabricated on glazed ceramic tile, using the Tilography process. Pairs of people and statements will be included on railings and other locations around the future station.

This project is designed to connect us to our past and our future, generating a renewable source of people power for positive change. The transformative power of community pride can unleash miracles.

Stephen Farley is gathering images and stories from Pomona residents through October 31, 2020. To submit a local hero for consideration, visit www.pomonapeoplepower.com.

How to Stay Updated or Get Questions Answered

While the Construction Authority and KPJV project offices are closed to the public temporarily, stakeholders have access to staff during business hours (see contact information below) and project information 24/7 at foothillgoldline.org.

For Construction-Related Questions:
(626) 513-5788 / CommunityRelations@Kiewit-Parsons.com

For General Project Questions:
(626) 305-7012 / publicaffairs@foothillgoldline.org

Thank you for your continued interest in the Foothill Gold Line. We hope you are staying safe and well during this time.

Lisa Levy Buch, Chief Communications and Strategic Development Officer and the Public Affairs Team