Construction halted on Metro project due to safety concerns

Workers have fallen off ladders, crushed fingers, and more while working on the extension project.

Ashley Mackey Image
Tuesday, October 25, 2022
Construction halted on Metro project
Workers have fallen off ladders, crushed fingers, and more while working on the extension project.

CENTURY CITY, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- For two weeks now, construction on a segment of Metro Rail's Purple Line extension project has been halted due to some serious safety concerns.

According to the Los Angeles Times, over 30 work-related injuries have been reported since July 2021.

Workers have fallen off ladders, crushed fingers, and more while working on the extension project.

Metro said it warned the project contractor, Tutor Perini O & G, about the unsafe conditions, but nothing was done about it.

Now, Metro officials say construction cannot resume until the past failures have been addressed, and a new plan to keep workers safe is established.

The construction of the 2.6-mile segment extension of the Purple Line began in 2019. It's meant to provide a route from Western Avenue to the Westwood Veterans Affairs hospital along Wilshire Boulevard.

The Purple Line also gained the attention of the president. During a visit to Southern California earlier this month, President Biden visited the site, saying projects like this bring jobs and improve quality of life.

So far, there has been no word from Metro on when the construction could resume again.

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