$1.5B Foothill Gold Line extension reaches substantial completion

The Foothill Gold Line Construction Authority has announced the substantial completion of the A Line’s extension to Pomona.

The $1.5-billion project includes 9.1 miles of new track and four stops in Glendora, San Dimas, La Verne, and Pomona. Five years of construction have also brought about new bridges, sound walls, fencing, park-and-ride facilities, and other infrastructure improvements.

"The Kiewit-Parsons team did an outstanding job designing and constructing the light rail project, despite significant and unprecedented challenges," said the Construction Authority's chief executive officer Habib F. Balian in a news release. "It is unusual for a large infrastructure project to come in on time and on budget, but KPJV was partners with the Construction Authority from the start and found ways to innovate and keep the project moving through the COVID-19 Pandemic, historic heatwaves and historic rains. I am pleased to say that we not only completed the project on time and on budget - we ended as partners."

Next up for the project is testing by Metro, with final approvals to be granted by the California Public Utilities Commission. An opening date for the project has not been announced, though it is anticipated in either July or August.

When opened to passengers later this year, the A Line will officially span 49 miles between Pomona and Downtown Long Beach. With 44 stations and a route that also travels through Pasadena and Downtown Los Angeles, the A Line is already the longest light rail line in the world.

It is also expected to grow even longer in the years to come. Last year, state transportation officials announced the release of $500 million in previously frozen funds for the next phase of the Foothill Extension, which calls for the construction of an additional 3.2 miles of track with stops in Claremont and Montclair. Those elements were cut from the current extension due to swelling construction costs, but are now expected to commence work before the end of 2025.

An extension to Montclair is also notable in that it will make the A Line the first in the Metro rail network to reach outside of Los Angeles County borders into neighboring San Bernardino County. The Daily News reports that San Bernardino County is prepared to spend $80 million to pay for the one mile of new rail which would be located within its borders.

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• Foothill Gold Line (Urbanize LA)