The Eastside Extension of Metro’s Gold Line light rail system is a 6-mile extension that serves one of the most densely populated areas of Los Angeles. Running on concrete-embedded track from Union Station in downtown Los Angeles to Pomona Boulevard, it connects the communities of East Los Angeles and Little Tokyo to Long Beach, Hollywood, the San Fernando Valley, downtown Los Angeles, and Pasadena. Shimmick led the joint venture which served as lead contractor and lead designer for the design and construction of the 6-mile light rail transit (LRT) extension, supported Metro in its community outreach program, and self-performed 30 percent of the design and 35 percent of the construction.
Self-performed work included 15 miles of trackwork, 150,000 cubic yards structural concrete, 4 miles of street and civil work, and several miles of wet utility relocations (sewer, water, storm drain). The joint venture also managed all design processes for the 4,000-sheet design and coordinated all street and utility permits with third-party agencies, and was responsible for light rail system start-up.
Shimmick maintained a constant commitment to local hiring of craft and staff positions and to local business support and development. In November of 2008, the project received the Angel Award presented by the East Los Angeles Community Youth Center in recognition of our community efforts. We successfully completed over 4 miles of street reconstruction, in a very confined urban environment, with minimal impact to residences and businesses. During construction, station locations were protected and separated from adjacent residents, businesses, and traffic. Underground stations were built under concrete deck panels which allowed uninterrupted traffic movements during construction.
The project achieved 4.3 million safe work hours, including subcontractors, without a Days Away injury.
