Foothill Gold Line E-News

August 2021

UPDATES: Major Milestone Reached for Project Design; Grade Crossing Updates; Bonita Ave./Cataract Ave. Intersection and Bridge Work; Other Bridge Work Underway; Freight Track Relocation and Upcoming Rail Delivery Train; Project Update Video

Project Reaches Major Milestone – Design is Substantially Complete

As of this month, the 9.1-mile Glendora to Pomona project is now more than one-third complete overall and has reached substantial completion on the design.

The project design is a significant element of this complicated design-build project, and reaching substantial completion is a major milestone resulting from the hard work of dozens of engineers working full-time on the project for nearly two years.

The design is completed in packages, totaling tens of thousands of pages of engineering drawings that go through multiple reviews. Disciplines – like track, stations and systems – are completed in packages covering the entire 9.1-mile alignment; while civil design for project elements like roadways, lighting, drainage and walls are completed in segments, often relating to the corridor city in which those elements will be built. The 19 bridge structures being built or renovated on the project are each designed individually. And all packages go through multiple levels of design approval – 30%, 60%, 85%, 100% and then “Approved for Construction” or AFC – and are often reviewed by multiple agencies at each stage. This month’s announcement means that all elements of the project have reached the final level of approval – AFC.

While additional design work will continue to take place throughout the life of the design-build project, reaching substantial completion this month is a significant achievement. We thank the women and men at the Construction Authority, KPJV and our project partners (corridor cities, Metro and other agencies) for their efforts that supported this milestone and their continued dedication to the success of the project.

Grade Crossing Work is Now 39% Complete

Photo: E St. grade crossing in La Verne reopened on August 9

Last Monday, the E St. grade crossing in La Verne, which closed for reconstruction in early April, repened to motorists and pedestrians. During the four-month closure, crews completed extensive underground utility work; rebuilt the roadway, curbs, gutters, sidewalks and medians; installed the eastbound light rail track and the relocated freight track, as well as a temporary freight track to allow for freight service to continue making deliveries; and installed a host of safety improvements.

Crews will return in the future to remove the temporary freight track, install the westbound light rail track and install additional safety improvements – requiring a second, but short, closure (more on planned second closures below).

With the reopening of E St., there are now 10 at-grade crossings that have undergone reconstruction and have reopened; and the project is now 39% complete with the grade crossing work overall.

Five Grade Crossings Currently Under Construction

Photo: D St. grade crossing in La Verne closed for reconstruction on August 9

Hours after the reopening of E St. in La Verne last week, crews began reconstructing the nearby D St. grade crossing (north of Arrow Hwy.), requiring a full closure of the street for approximately three months. With the beginning of work at D St., there are now five grade crossings underway with reconstruction. The four others are: Vermont Ave., Pasadena Ave. and Loraine Ave. in Glendora; and Walnut Ave. in San Dimas.

Photo: Vermont Ave. grade crossing in Glendora

At all of these crossings, crews continue to make progress relocating and protecting underground water, sewer, gas, communications and power lines; and will then move on to installing new tracks and safety equipment, and rebuilding the roadway, curbs, gutters, sidewalks and medians.

Photo: Pasadena Ave. grade crossing in Glendora

In the next few weeks, it is anticipated that the Loraine Ave. grade crossing in Glendora will reopen to motorists and pedestrians. Crews there are currently nearing the final stages of the underground utility work, and have begun work on the two light rail tracks and installation of safety equipment. The freight track has already been relocated through this area.

Photos: (Top) Loraine Ave. grade crossing in Glendora; (Bottom) Crews installing storm drain at Walnut Ave. grade crossing in San Dimas

Upcoming Second Grade Crossing Closures

Starting with the Elwood Ave. (Glendora) and Fulton Rd. (La Verne/Pomona) grade crossings in September, crews will begin revisiting several grade crossings that have already undergone major reconstruction, but still have remaining activities that require a second short street closure.

Of the 21 at-grade crossings to be reconstructed on the project, only the following six will require short second closures:

• Elwood Ave. in Glendora
• Walnut Ave. in San Dimas
• Wheeler Ave., D St. and E St. in La Verne
• Fulton Rd. in La Verne/Pomona

At all of these grade crossings (except for Elwood Ave.), second closures are necessary to finish the freight track relocation. A temporary freight track was installed during the initial work at these locations to allow freight service to be maintained without interruption as crews completed other activities. When ready, crews will return to each crossing to remove the temporary freight track, realign the freight onto the new relocated track, install the second light rail track and complete the remaining safety improvements.

At Elwood Ave. in Glendora, crews will return for a second closure to complete the underground utility work. The freight track is already relocated through this area of the project.

Bonita Ave./Cataract Ave. Intersection Reconstruction and Bridge Work in San Dimas

Photos: Crews constructing the western (top) and eastern (bottom) foundations for the future light rail bridge at the Bonita Ave./Cataract Ave. intersection in San Dimas

At the intersection of Bonita Ave./Cataract Ave. in San Dimas, crews continue to construct the foundations for the future light rail bridge, as crews near completion on the second of a four-phased plan to reconfigure the intersection – all required by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) for safety.

Beginning in mid-September, crews will close the entire intersection of Bonita Ave./Cataract Ave. for five days to complete the underground utility work, remove and relocate the existing freight track to its new position and repave the work zone. These activities are needed to make room for the new light rail bridge foundations.

Following the conclusion of the five-day intersection closure, crews will move to Phase 3 of the roadway reconstruction, which will require a long-term full closure of Cataract Ave. north and south of the intersection for approximately nine months. Access from eastbound Bonita Ave. to southbound Cataract Ave. will remain open and available.

To learn about the overall phased construction plan for the Bonita Ave./Cataract Ave. intersection, click here to read the construction notice. You can also read a fact sheet that provides an overview of the intersection improvements and future light rail bridge (click here).

STAY AHEAD OF STREET CLOSURES:

Construction Alerts with more information will be sent out ahead of any upcoming street closure. If you know of anyone who may be impacted by the upcoming grade crossing work and related street closures discussed in this newsletter, please encourage them to sign up for Construction Alerts at www.foothillgoldline.org.

Bridge Work in Glendora and Pomona

Photo: Crews building the retaining walls for the western approach of the future light rail bridge over Foothill Blvd./Grand Ave. in Glendora

At the intersection of Foothill Blvd./Grand Ave. in Glendora, crews continue to make progress building the retaining walls of the western approach for the future light rail bridge that will carry Gold Line trains over the intersection. As seen in the photo above, the walls for the approach will consist of custom form panels that feature the project’s citrus design.

The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) required this bridge to be built over the intersection to improve safety for both the new light rail system and city streets, as the result of the estimated 200+ light rail trains that will cross this intersection each day in the future.

As part of the plan for the bridge and intersection, the existing freight track will be relocated south of its current position within the existing railroad corridor and remain at street level, and the intersection of Foothill Blvd./Grand Ave. will be reconfigured. Pedestrian access will be maintained under the future bridge.

To understand what the future light rail bridge over Foothill Blvd./Grand Ave. will look like, click here to see 3D simulations.

Photo: Crews building the foundations for a freight-only bridge over Little Dalton Wash in Glendora

On the southeast corner of the Foothill Blvd./Grand Ave. intersection, crews have also begun constructing the foundation for a freight-only bridge over the Little Dalton Wash, as seen in the photo above. This will exist alongside the light rail bridge.

Photo: Crews demolishing parts of Thompson Creek channel structure to make way for future light rail bridge in Pomona

Just a few hundred feet west of the future Pomona station, crews have begun initial work on the new light rail bridge that will carry Gold Line trains over the Thompson Creek channel. As seen in the photo above, crews recently demolished parts of the existing channel structure to make way for the foundations of the light rail bridge. This bridge will carry eastbound Gold Line trains and will be an extension of the existing channel structure that currently carries the temporary freight track. In the future, crews will remove the temporary freight track and install the westbound light rail track in its place. The relocated freight track will be placed on a separate structure to the north that was recently constructed.

Freight Track Relocation Now 48% Complete

Photo: Freight track relocated onto the new freight bridge over San Dimas Wash in Glendora

With crews having successfully relocated the freight track throughout the city of Glendora, nearly half of the freight relocation needed for the entire project segment is now complete. The remaining freight track relocation from San Dimas to Pomona is currently ongoing and anticipated to be completed by the end of the year.

Upcoming Rail Delivery

Photo: Rail delivery train making its way through the corridor last summer

Later this month, a specialty rail delivery train will make its way throughout the 9.1-mile corridor to deliver and place sticks of rail at various locations. This is the second of three rail deliveries planned for the project (the first took place last summer), and the rail pieces delivered by this train will be used to build out the light rail tracks and complete the relocated freight track.

Because of the length of this specialty train (the last one was 2,000 ft. long), various grade crossings will be closed for minutes at a time when the train crosses the street. A Construction Alert with more information about the timing for the rail delivery will be sent out soon.

Demolition of Warehouse Complete at Site of Future La Verne Station Parking Facility

Photo: Crews completed demolition of industrial warehouse at site of future La Verne station parking facility

At the site of the future parking facility for the La Verne station, crews recently completed the demolition of the existing industrial warehouse. In its place in the future will be a 299-space surface parking lot for Metro riders, as well as amenities for riders arriving by walking, bicycle, bus and drop-off. To view the site plan for the future La Verne station and associated parking facility, click here.

To see more of these and other activities that took place this past month, click here or below to watch the August 2021 project highlight video.

Thank you for your continued interest in the Foothill Gold Line. We appreciate your patience as we build this important regional project.

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