LA Metro advances fully underground rail option for Sepulveda Transit Corridor
(UI) - The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority has selected a fully underground heavy-rail alternative as the locally preferred option for the Sepulveda Transit Corridor, moving one of Southern California’s largest transit tunneling projects into the next phase of design and environmental review.
The decision clears the way for continued development of a high-capacity rail line connecting the San Fernando Valley with Los Angeles’ Westside through the Sepulveda Pass, a corridor long constrained by surface congestion and limited transit options. Metro estimates the underground alignment could reduce end-to-end travel times to under 20 minutes, compared with car commutes that frequently exceed an hour.
Metro selected a modified version of one of five alternatives evaluated in its Draft Environmental Impact Report, following technical analysis and public review that generated more than 8,000 comments. The chosen option features a fully underground alignment with stations planned near the Metro G Line, Ventura Boulevard, UCLA, and connections to the Metro D and E Lines, integrating the project into the region’s existing rail network.
With the locally preferred alternative identified, Metro will move forward with additional engineering refinement, cost analysis, and community engagement as part of the formal environmental review process. Final design, procurement strategy, and construction sequencing will be developed in subsequent phases.
The Sepulveda Transit Corridor is among the most complex underground infrastructure projects currently in planning in the U.S., involving long-span tunneling beneath dense urban development and the Santa Monica Mountains. If built, the project would represent a major expansion of Los Angeles’ underground rail system and a significant opportunity for large-diameter tunneling, station excavation, and systems installation contractors.
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