Inside Downtown Los Angeles' Subway Tunneling Project

Thomas Curwen reports, with the aid of photography by Mel Melcon, on the ongoing construction of the Regional Connector in Downtown Los Angeles.

The article describes the experience of the workers on the project, setting the underground construction scene amidst all the important statistics on the size and scope of the project.

In 2021, commuters will follow their steps, barreling through an S-shaped tunnel — the $1.75-billion Regional Connector project — 1.9 miles out of Little Tokyo, north to Bunker Hill and west to 7th and Flower streets, a transit corridor that will link Long Beach to Azusa and Santa Monica to East L.A.

Much of the article is devoted to the work of the "moles" or "sandhogs"—the miners putting in the hard work on the project. Many come from far away countries, and those from the United States will often travel to other parts of the country and the world to find similar work. Richard McLane, chief mechanical engineer for the Regional Connector Project, is quoted in the article describing why the tunneling work is so addicting for the people who do it: "It’s like watching civilization in action. This is not a leaf spring for a Chevy Camaro that in 10 years will be in a junkyard. The work we do will last generations."