Nine months after the second of two groundbreaking ceremonies held for the project, major construction is scheduled to begin on July 10 for the $1.4-billion extension of the L (Gold) Line to Pomona.

Following months of pre-construction work, the Foothill Gold Line Construction authority has announced that contractor Kiewit-Parsons’ first major task will be the rebuilding of a railroad crossing at Gladstone Street in the City of San Dimas.  This will require a full closure of the street for vehicles and pedestrians for three months to allow for the relocation of utilities and existing freight rail tracks, followed by the installation of light rail tracks and new safety equipment.

Click here for more information on construction activities.

Despite the start of heavy construction, certain aspects of the L Line extension remain in flux.

While the extension was originally planned to run 12.3 miles from the current terminus in Azusa to Claremont, swelling project costs resulted necessitated a change in strategy.  In 2019, the Construction Authority adopted a new phased plan in which the extension would be built to Pomona - with intermediate stops in Glendora, San Dimas, and La Verne - by 2025, with service to Claremont delayed until a future date.  Another extension, which would push the rail line farther east to Montclair, is to be funded separately by San Bernardino County.

The Construction Authority is also in the midst of revising plans for park-and-ride facilities at several stations, potentially cutting pricier concrete garages in favor of surface lots.

Some elected officials, including State Assemblymember Chris Holden, have pushed for the L Line to eventually terminate at Ontario International Airport.