First Ave re-opened at Santa Clara

After months of being closed in all four directions, the intersection at First Avenue and Santa Clara Street is open.

The intersection was closed or construction of Gold Line light rail tracks diagonally across the intersection from the northwest corner where a new train station is being built to the southeast corner where the tracks continue on to Azusa as part of an 11.5-mile extension to be open for riders in late 2016.

Since the intersection closure in early September, Metro Gold Line Foothill Extension Construction Authority crews completed utility relocations, set light rail tracks and grade crossing panels, graded and built new sidewalks, paved the roadway, installed anchors for permanent signage, and installed traffic foundations, conduit and signal poles and installed enhanced crosswalks, as part of the overall station area improvements planned in cooperation with the City.

This is the only at-grade (or street level) crossing in the city of Arcadia, and is one of only six remaining at-grade crossings to be finished for the 11.5-mile project.

Separately, at Santa Anita Ave, crews completed the striping work on Santa Anita Ave on Thursday (March 13, 2014), opening the street now to full capacity. Over the next month-and-a-half, overhead work will continue on the bridge structure requiring periodic lane closures.

Click here to see photos and updates of work on the Gold Line Santa Anita bridge and the bridge over Huntington Drive at Second Avenue.

— By Scott Hettrick