Two stations in Azusa along the Foothill Gold Line extension finish construction Wednesday and are ready to continue onto the next phase before they open, with Metro taking over. Azusa is the only city that has two stations on the route.
"This really signifies the completion of all of our work," Habib Balian, CEO of the Metro Foothill Gold Line Construction Authority, told KPCC. Balian said the sign-off with the contractor will happen next Wednesday. Next, Metro will bring in train operators and go through simulated services on the line.
"The project is essentially ready to go into pre-revenue operations by Metro sometime very soon, and put into operations early next year," Balian said.
The project began in June 2010. "It's been five years of solid construction. We've gone through all the hurdles of getting through the community and the planning and design," he said. The project was completed on time and on budget, according to Balian.
The completion will be celebrated Saturday at the Downtown Alameda station. The project will be put into service sometime early next year, Balian said. Design and planning for a phase of the line that will go from Azusa to Montclair is next for the construction authority.