SoCal's Gold Line Extension Delayed Two Years

The planned Gold Line extension from Glendora to Montclair, approved for funding by November's Measure M, has been delayed. "Instead of expecting construction to finish in 2023, the [Metro Gold Line Foothill Construction Authority] board last week set completion by December 2025 or early 2026, placing the opening of the light-rail extension more than nine years in the future," reports Steve Scauzillo in the San Gabriel Valley Tribune.

The project will eventually extend the existing Gold Line light rail like to Montclair, but had to be adjusted because of complications with BSNF freight traffic and complaints about road closures. Doug Tessitor, chairman of the Construction Authority's board, told Scauzillo "Some cities have objected to closure of two nearby intersections simultaneously to allow for alignment and laying of track. As a compromise, the authority agreed to stagger the work in consecutive chunks, adding almost two years of construction time."