洛杉矶大都会运输管理局Expo轻轨项目的第二阶段正在关闭，该项目正在追求到2015年到达太平洋。截至7月下旬，大约有45％的人完成，这是15亿美元，6.6英里长的线路，从卡尔弗市到圣莫尼卡在地面上方和下方面临障碍。

The project continues the Expo Line's $930-million, 8.6-mile-long Phase 1, which opened last year and links downtown Los Angeles with Culver City. Phase 2 broke ground last summer and will extend the line to Santa Monica. The new phase includes seven major bridges, seven stations—divided into 25 design packages—and a railcar maintenance and parking facility.

在2015年完成后，该项目将在桥梁，墙壁和人行道上使用超过930万磅的钢筋和20,558立方米的混凝土，工人将挖掘约371,607立方米的地球。

The alignment, primarily at grade, will parallel the I-10 freeway and run along the old right-of-way of the Pacific Electric Exposition—an electric trolley line used in the early 20th century—to 4th Street and Colorado Avenue in downtown Santa Monica.

Maze of Utilities

A particular construction challenge along the route has been dealing with a web of underground utilities.

监督该项目的博览会建筑管理局首席项目官埃里克·奥尔森（Eric Olson）表示，靠近繁忙的城市街道和社区，使项目团队和当地公用事业公司之间的协调特别重要。

"One thing we did on this job that was unique was facilitated partnering with each utility in an effort to bring them in as part of the project team," Olson says. "This is my fourth design-build [project] and this is the first time we've done something like this. And it's proved to be effective."

He adds, "Design-build projects move very fast .... By getting [utilities] in early, we are getting them to keep up with our pace."

Rick Thorpe, Construction Authority CEO, says, "A lot of times third parties aren't staffed for such a big project" and sometimes may need the contractor to take over certain major project tasks.