Regional Connector Reaches ‘Steady State’

The intersection of First and Alameda in Little Tokyo.

The Metro Regional Connector Transit Project team on Sept. 30 announced that the project has reached a new phase of construction known as steady state, reducing obstacles to traffic and pedestrians.

“Piles and deck panels have been installed across the major intersection at First and Alameda Street, allowing crews to move all work underground and behind barriers,” Metro said in a statement. “You’ll notice lanes of traffic are now fully restored, plus the addition of new, high-visibility crosswalks.

“Now, construction at the future First/Central Station makes way for tunneling operations to begin. The TBM, or tunnel-boring machine, will be assembled this year and is scheduled to launch from the First/Central Station in early 2017.

“With the streets cleared of closures, this also means the Little Tokyo Parking Validation program will end today, Sept. 30. Overall, the program was great benefit to the community — thousands of visitors took advantage of free parking while supporting local businesses. We could not have done it without your cooperation.”

The team thanked the Little Tokyo and Arts District communities for their “continued patience and support of the project.”

For updates, visit www.metro.net/projects/connector/. Information is available in Japanese and other languages.