Gold Line Bridge - Possible Partial Freeway Closures

Working on the Gold Line freeway bridge abutments.

Construction on the Gold Line bridge near Santa Anita Avenue may mean partial closures of the eastbound 210 between now and Nov. 26 (except for sure not on Nov. 24 and 25), between 10 p.m. and 1 p.m. the following day. The crew will be working on the east abutment (where the bridge hits ground), including digging 18 foundation holes. They may also get some work done on the west abutment and perhaps start pouring concrete for the three main columns.

- Brad Haugaard (from Gold Line press release)

Moving a Drain for Gold Line | Burnett & Son | Miyachi Unitek

Moving a storm drain.

~ Moving a storm drain pipe and demolishing the old bridge's foundation to put in the abutments for the new Gold Line bridge near Santa Anita Avenue.

~ Burnett & Son Meat Co. is purchasing new x-ray packaging and contaminant detection systems. http://goo.gl/UHFGp

~ Spot-welding and music ministry. Jack Lantz of Monrovia's Miyachi Unitek. http://goo.gl/BkkLD

- Brad Haugaard

Partial Freeway Closures Ahead

Partial closures of 210 eastbound from Halloween night through the evening of Nov. 11. Closures will start no earlier than 10 p.m. and end by 1 p.m. the following day. No full-freeway closures are anticipated. The construction crew is working on either end of the bridge, where it is anchored to the ground. The abutments.

- Brad Haugaard

Gold Line Wins Court Cases Brought by Monrovia Landowner

The Metero Gold Line won a court ruling in a case brought against the line by a Monrovia property owner who doesn't want to sell his land for a rail maintenance yard.

 

According to the Gold Line press release, "the ruling released today denies the petitioner’s request that the court invalidate the Construction Authority’s certification of a Supplemental Environmental Impact Report (SEIR) for the project."

 

Also, the news release says that, "To date, the petitioner has initiated six lawsuits against the Construction Authority and City of Monrovia in an attempt to stop the eminent domain process for his property. The lawsuits have ranged from alleging a secret conspiracy, to challenging the ability of board members to sit on the Construction Authority board, to claiming the Construction Authority is not legally permitted to conduct design-build procurements."

 

More here: http://goo.gl/6OsRP

 

- Brad Haugaard

Gold Line Works Around State Supreme Court Roadblock

Working on the Gold Line bridge at Santa Anita Avenue.

The Metro board has freed money for continued Gold Line rail line work, kind of outflanking a State Supreme Court decision.

As you may recall, the court froze redevelopment agencies until a lawsuit is settled, but since the Gold line needed to lock up property from the Monrovia Redevelopment Agency for a maintenance yard before it would qualify for more money, the court order meant it was stuck. But now the Metro board has taken that into consideration and decided to free up some of the cash. Gold Line spokesman Habib Balian writes:

"Earlier today, the Metro board approved an important amendment to our funding agreement, affording the Construction Authority access to $208 million of the approved $735 million total project budget, an increase of $103.6 million from the original terms.

"Having access to the funds allows the Authority to provide Kiewit Parsons Joint Venture an Interim Notice to Proceed for the Pasadena to Azusa design and preconstruction work, maintaining our current schedule of construction completion in 2015."

- Brad Haugaard

Bridge Work | Maranatha Over Monrovia? | Walmart Employees Get Sick

Working on the 210 Gold Line bridge abutments. 

~ Star-News Sports Writer picks Maranatha over Monrovia in football. http://goo.gl/XVIFL

~ Walmart employees get sick after handling money. http://goo.gl/I9tem

- Brad Haugaard

Partial Freeway Closures Until Oct. 28

The Gold Line folks are warning there may be partial lane closures on the eastbound 210 near Santa Anita from now through Friday, October 28. If so, they will begin no earlier than 10 p.m. and last no later than 1 p.m. the following day. No total closures. They'll be unloading steel cages to fit in the 18 foundation holes that will anchor the west end of the bridge. There'll be another 18 for the east end of the bridge. After inserting the steel cages they'll pour concrete.

 

- Brad Haugaard 

Three Bridge Foundations Done - Abutments Next

The three foundations for the Gold Line bridge near Santa Anita Avenue have been poured. Here's a report from Gold Line spokesman Habib Balian

"Early this morning, Skanska completed the last of three deep (110 foot deep, 11 foot diameter) foundations for the I-210 Bridge - a significant undertaking. Each deep hole was reinforced with 60-ton steel cages that had to be brought to the site in two large segments and permanently joined on-site. Once lowered into place, close to 450 cubic yards of concrete was poured into each reinforced hole – requiring 45 truck-loads of Irwindale-produced concrete. Most of this work was done late at night, from Midnight to 5:00 a.m., requiring multiple closures of the eastbound I-210 Freeway and coordination with Caltrans, CHP, City of Arcadia Police Department, and others.

 

"In addition to the fact that the amount of steel used in the three reinforcing steel cages is enough to circle the Santa Anita main racetrack three times, it is also interesting to note that what is intertwined into that steel makes each column "smart." As discussed in this article, wires were embedded into each reinforcing steel cage capable of sending electrical impulses through the foundation’s structure. In the event of an earthquake, these impulses will be utilized to identify if any damage has occurred to the foundations. This technology, called Time Domain Reflectometry, has been utilized in landslide prone areas to detect earth movement and is being used for the first time in a bridge with this project. Without this state-of-the-art technology, the only way to check the impact of an earthquake on the foundations would be to physically excavate them.

  

"Skanska will now focus on building the bridge abutments, or the ingress/egress points to the bridge on either side of the freeway. They will also start work on the three iconic, basket-themed columns (being built above the three deep foundations) that are certain to become the hallmark of the gateway bridge."

 

- Brad Haugaard

Video of Gold Line Bridge Construction

Video of the 210 Gold Line bridge construction. Nothing really new but some nice footage of the construction in progress. http://goo.gl/fLiSe

 

- Brad Haugaard

Gold Line Gets $6 Million from Federal Government

According to Gold Line spokesman Habib Balian, the federal government is giving the line approximately $6 million "for bus/pedestrian interface enhancements around the future Gold Line stations from Arcadia to Azusa." This is in addition to $3 million that was allocated "to study how such enhancements would be integrated into the station areas."

 

- Brad Haugaard (from press release)

Gold Line Street Crossings

If you want to know how the Gold Line train crossings will work, here is a video ( http://goo.gl/8CDMC ). In brief, they'll work like the rest of the street-level crossings along the line: Traffic light turns red, red lights flash, clang-clang, bars cover the width of the street and sidewalks, and train driver honks a couple times.

- Brad Haugaard

Gold Line Bridge Foundations: Two Down, One to Go

The second Gold Line 210 bridge foundation has been completed. (It took the concrete from 45 trucks - 400 cubic yards.) One more foundation to go. Construction on the third foundation begins Friday, Sept. 30. http://goo.gl/korZg

- Brad Haugaard

Supreme Court Halting Gold Line Construction

The California Supreme Court is bringing Gold Line construction to a halt, according to Monrovia City Manager Scott Ochoa.

 

In his weekly report, Ochoa said the Court - which had frozen redevelopment agency transactions until a lawsuit has been decided - refused to make any exceptions, so the Monrovia Redevelopment Agency can't sell property to the Gold Line for a maintenance yard, and that means the Gold Line can't get new funding, because it needs at least 50 percent of the maintenance-yard property locked up before the money will be released.

Ochoa said the court is not expected to rule until this winter.

Source: http://goo.gl/45gL9

 

- Brad Haugaard

Freeway Lanes Closing Tonight on 210

Up to three freeway lanes will be closed tonight on the eastbound 210 for continuing construction of the Gold Line bridge near the Santa Anita exit. From 11 p.m. to no later than 6 a.m. http://goo.gl/157oY

- Brad Haugaard

The Crane Crosses the Freeway

Time-lapsed photos of the crane moving across the 210 Freeway to the median. The freeway was opened to rush hour traffic at 4:30 Tuesday morning.

Early Tuesday morning (Sept. 20) the 300-ton crane and drilling rig, that was on the south side of the 210 near the eastbound Santa Anita offramp, was moved to the median.

Gold Line spokesman Habib Balian describes the scene:

"A dramatic scene, as well-orchestrated crews first laid heavy timber beams across the freeway to create a protective path for equipment to cross without damaging the freeway.  Once the timber beams were properly in place, the drill rig  and crane slowly made the nearly 100-foot slog to the next work area in the center median, where the second and final bridge columns are to be constructed.

"This intricate maneuver would not have been possible without the cooperation of Caltrans District 7 and the California Highway Patrol – to whom we send our thanks."

OPINION: Speaking of Caltrans, I am not in general a big fan of much that the state has been doing lately, but I must say that over the past month or so I've been very impressed with Caltrans' work on Southern California freeways. The work seems to have been done well, done very quickly and efficiently, and done at night to minimize inconvenience. Well done, Caltrans!

- Brad Haugaard

Eastbound Freeway Closed Tonight

All eastbound lanes of the 210 Freeway will be closed tonight, September 19, from midnight to around 5 a.m. Tuesday for the Gold Line bridge construction near the Santa Anita offramp. Eastbound lane and on-ramp closures will begin even earlier, at 9 a.m. for Rosemead, Michillinda, and Baldwin on-ramps. http://goo.gl/e1VrH

- Brad Haugaard

Eastbound 210 Closed Tonight

Eastbound 210 will be closed tonight (Tuesday) from midnight to 5 a.m. http://goo.gl/5IbaS

- Brad Haugaard

Assembly Comes Through for Gold Line

Earlier this afternoon, the State Assembly passed AB 706 by a vote of 64 to 3. With the Senate’s unanimous approval earlier this week, the bill now goes to the Governor for his signature.

Drilling Begins on Gold Line Rail Bridge

Drilling has begun on the foundations for the Gold Line bridge just west of the Santa Anita offramp on the eastbound 210.

According to Gold Line spokesman Habib Balian, Caltrans approved the permit last week and "drilling began yesterday on the first of the three deep foundations. Over the next week, the 11 foot diameter hole for the first foundation (located on the southern shoulder) will be completed,  the reinforcing steel cage will be installed and concrete will be poured and tested. Once drilling is complete on this first foundation, the drill rig and crane will then be moved to the center median of the freeway to start work on the remaining two, 110-foot deep foundations."

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Sale of Land to Gold Line May Face Big Delay

The sale of Monrovia land to the Gold Line for a maintenance facility has been delayed yet again - possibly until January unless the State Supreme Court can be persuaded to modify a ban it has imposed.

In his weekly report ( http://goo.gl/P8KVM ), Monrovia City Manager Scott Ochoa said there was a delay in approving the sale when the State abolished redevelopment agencies, so the city had to wait until the Monrovia Redevelopment Agency could be reconstituted (after agreeing to pay a "ransom" to the state of more than a million dollars), but now that that has occurred, the Supreme Court has forbidden the agencies from getting rid of their assets during the court challenge to the state's new redevelopment law.

So, Monrovia can't sell the property, unless, Ochoa said, the court agrees to modify its order. Hopefully the court will rule on that question this week.

- Brad Haugaard