70% of Tunneling for Subway System Finished

More than 70% of the tunneling needed to finish the Rapid Transit District’s 4.4-mile subway system in Los Angeles has been completed, RTD officials announced Wednesday.

After five months of work on the system, contractors completed the tunnel segment between the Pershing Square Station and the 7th Street/Metro Center Station, RTD General Manager Alan Pegg said.

The project has been running “a couple of months behind schedule because of unforeseen delays, including larger than usual rocks and contaminated soil,” said Greg Davy, an RTD spokesman. Excavations will be completed in early 1990, he said.

The 7th Street/Metro Center Station will serve both subway and light rail lines that are under construction. RTD is scheduled to begin operating the Los Angeles to Long Beach Light Rail Line in July, 1990. The Light Rail will use only a small portion of tunneled area, the spokesman said.

Opening of the twin-tunnel subway system, which will stretch from Union Station to a terminal at the intersection of Wilshire Boulevard and Alvarado Street, was originally slated for April, 1992. It is now scheduled for September, 1993, Davy said.