LA Metro Advances Systems Testing on $9.5 Billion D Line Subway Extension Through Century City and Westwood

Accelerating the Trans-Metropolitan Rail Artery Across Los Angeles County

LOS ANGELES, California — Marking a decisive new chapter in Southern California’s public transportation evolution, the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LA Metro) is accelerating heavy civil construction and integrated systems testing on the final phases of the monumental $9.5 billion D Line (Purple Line) Subway Extension megaproject. Following the successful passenger opening of Section 1 from Koreatown to Wilshire/La Cienega in May 2026, engineering crews are now focused on completing the subterranean rail artery traversing Beverly Hills, Century City, and Westwood.

Funded by voter-approved Measure R and Measure M sales tax revenues alongside major Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Capital Investment Grants, the 9-mile continuous subterranean transit line represents the most complex urban tunneling undertaking in contemporary California history. Once fully delivered ahead of the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games—where UCLA will host the global Olympic Village—the D Line will deliver a rapid, traffic-free, 30-minute one-seat ride between Downtown Los Angeles and West Los Angeles, bypassing notoriously gridlocked commuter bottlenecks on the Interstate 10 and Wilshire Boulevard corridors.

Advanced Systems Local Field Acceptance Testing Beneath Century City and Beverly Hills

Under Section 2, which extends 2.59 miles from Wilshire/La Cienega through the commercial epicenter of Century City, engineering teams have reached advanced stages of Systems Local Field Acceptance Testing (LFAT). Deep beneath Constellation Boulevard, civil crews from Tutor Perini/O&G have completed trackwork through the intricate underground double-crossover cavern, allowing trains to switch between inbound and outbound guideways at operational speeds.

Crews are systematically 'firing up the tracks' with 750-volt direct current (DC) traction power to conduct live dynamic clearances and emergency power testing. Modern traction power substations, continuous welded rail, and microprocessor-based Communications-Based Train Control (CBTC) signaling networks are undergoing end-to-end telemetry verification. The subterranean Century City station features high-capacity redundant ventilation shafts, full ADA-compliant glass elevators, illuminated wayfinding portals, and expansive concourses designed to safely accommodate tens of thousands of daily commuters.

TBM Breakthroughs and Station Architecture on Westwood/VA Hospital Section 3

Concurrently along Section 3, stretching 2.56 miles beneath the bustling Westwood campus community, civil contractor Frontier-Kemper/Tutor Perini is completing structural concrete placements for the Westwood/UCLA and Westwood/VA Hospital stations. Having completed twin mechanized tunnel boring machine (TBM) drives through challenging geological formations—including alluvial sediments, oil-bearing strata, and seismic fault zones—structural focus has shifted to surface street restoration and deep mezzanine fit-outs.

The Westwood/UCLA station concourse, situated directly adjacent to UCLA Medical Plaza and the main university campus, will serve an estimated 25,000 students, faculty, and healthcare staff daily. The terminal facility at Westwood/VA Hospital features a direct subterranean pedestrian walkway beneath the Wilshire Boulevard/I-405 interchange, establishing direct, step-free access to veteran medical clinics without surface traffic exposure.

Catalyzing Sustainable Urban Transit and Regional Economic Connectivity

LA Metro leadership and municipal officials emphasized that the D Line subway extension is an essential engine for environmental equity, regional decarbonization, and transit-oriented commercial revitalization across the Los Angeles basin. By eliminating an estimated 45,000 personal automobile trips daily upon full multi-station buildout, the heavy rail transit corridor will prevent millions of pounds of carbon emissions annually while establishing an equitable, high-capacity spine for Southern California’s future.