Grade Crossing Update
As the Glendora to Pomona project enters a new year, all but one of the 21 at-grade crossings requiring reconstruction on the project have had work completed. Most are substantially complete and won’t need additional full closures; while a handful will require a follow-up full closure this year to complete remaining activities (such as installation of the light rail and freight tracks through the crossing).
And if you are wondering… Garey Ave. in Pomona is the remaining crossing not yet started. It will undergo reconstruction in the coming months. Ahead of Garey Ave. starting, KPJV plans to conduct a one-week closure of Fulton Rd. (just west of Garey Ave.) in early February to complete the freight track relocation (click here for the notice).
Here is the latest on recently completed and on-going crossing activity around the corridor:
Foothill Blvd./Grand Ave. Crossing:
 Photo: Foothill Blvd./Grand Ave. crossing in Glendora reopen with temporary freight track in its new position
In late December, crews utilized a three-day full closure of the intersection of Foothill Blvd./Grand Ave. in Glendora to remove the existing freight track that was in the middle of the rail corridor and install a temporary freight track in its new position. Crews worked 24 hours a day during the closure to complete the necessary work, allowing the intersection to reopen to motorists and pedestrians the morning of December 22.
With this work completed, crews now have room to begin work on the future light rail bridge over the intersection (more on the bridge below). NOTE: Crews will be returning to the intersection later this year to install the permanent freight track and finalize the crossing work.
Ongoing Closures: Currently, crews are underway with the reconstruction of grade crossings at Pasadena Ave. in Glendora (click here for notice); San Dimas Ave. in San Dimas (click here for notice); and A St. (click here for notice) and White Ave. in La Verne (click here for notice).
   Photos: (top) Crews relocating underground SoCal Edison power line at Pasadena Ave. crossing in Glendora; (bottom) San Dimas Ave. crossing in San Dimas
At these four crossings, crews are relocating and protecting underground water, sewer, gas, communications and power lines. The freight track has already been relocated at Pasadena Ave., and is currently being relocated at the San Dimas Ave. and A St. crossings, with the same work soon to follow at White Ave.
Crews will later move on to installing the light rail tracks, installing new safety equipment, and rebuilding the roadways, curbs, gutters, sidewalks and medians.
  Photos: A St. (top) and White Ave. (bottom) grade crossings in La Verne
As always, we appreciate the community’s patience as we complete this impactful work.
We will continue to notify the surrounding community ahead of any future closure, so please encourage anyone that might be impacted to sign up for Construction Alerts at www.foothillgoldline.org.
Construction of New Light Rail Bridges Over Major Streets
With nearly all of the freight bridge work now complete, the KPJV structures team is refocusing their work on constructing the various light rail bridges from Glendora to Pomona. Like all of the freight bridges, most of the light rail bridges cross water channels and washes along the corridor; but four of the new bridges are being built to carry light rail trains over major streets.
Three of these four new light rail bridges are in Glendora at the Foothill Blvd./Grand Ave. intersection, Route 66 and Lone Hill Ave.; the fourth bridge is in San Dimas at the Bonita Ave./Cataract Ave. intersection. Each is required by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to improve safety for both the new light rail system and city streets. Below are updates on all of them:
Foothill Blvd./Grand Ave. Light Rail Bridge
  Photos: Crews constructing the west foundation (top) and east abutment (bottom) for the future light rail bridge over Foothill Blvd./Grand Ave. intersection in Glendora
With the successful removal of the freight track out of the middle of the corridor and installation of a temporary freight track in its new position through the Foothill Blvd./Grand Ave. intersection in Glendora, crews now have the room needed to work on the new light rail bridge.
At the southeast corner of the intersection, crews recently completed work on the foundation for the east abutment and have now begun constructing the abutment walls (the abutments are the supports at both ends of the bridge).
Across the intersection, on the northwest corner, crews are underway with the foundation for the west abutment. Similar to the east abutment, crews are drilling deep holes, installing 80-foot-long steel cages and placing concrete as part of the foundation work.
 Photo: Crews installing custom form panels for the west approach of the future light rail bridge over Foothill Blvd./Grand Ave. in Glendora
A little to the west of the intersection, crews continue to build the west approach to the future light rail bridge. As seen in the photo above, the retaining walls for the approach consist of custom form panels that feature the project’s citrus design. The approach will measure nearly 1,250 feet in length once it reaches the now under-construction west abutment in the near future.
To understand what the future light rail bridge over Foothill Blvd./Grand Ave. will look like, click here to see 3D simulations.
Route 66 Light Rail Bridge
  Photos: Crews installing the steel cages (top) and pouring concrete (bottom) for the columns of the future light rail bridge over Route 66 in Glendora
Following the recent completion of the column foundation work for the future light rail bridge over Route 66 in Glendora, crews have now moved on to constructing the concrete columns. As seen in the photos above and below, crews first install custom forms around the steel cages and then place concrete. Once cured, the forms are removed to reveal the custom design pattern.
 Photo: Design pattern on the Route 66 bridge column after crews removed the forms
During this work, nightly intermittent lane or bi-directional closures of Route 66 between Hunters Trail and Compromise Line Rd. are taking place. This will continue through early March. For more information on these nighttime closures, click here.
Following the completion of the column work, crews will begin constructing the falsework (the temporary support for the super-structure that will cross the street itself).
For more information on the future light rail bridge over Route 66, click here.
Lone Hill Ave. Light Rail Bridge
 Photo: Crews constructing the west approach for the future light rail bridge over Lone Hill Ave. in Glendora
Motorists and pedestrians recently traveling through the Lone Hill Ave. crossing in Glendora will have noticed the significant and visible progress being made on various elements of the future light rail bridge.
As seen in the photo above, the approach between the new light rail bridges over San Dimas Wash (west of Lone Hill Ave.) and Lone Hill Ave. continues to take shape. Crews are constructing the retaining walls for the approach, which consist of custom form panels that feature the project’s citrus design.
  Photos: Citrus design patterns on the west (top) and east (bottom) abutments for the future light rail bridge over Lone Hill Ave. in Glendora
On both sides of the Lone Hill Ave. crossing, crews recently removed the concrete forms for the west and east abutments, revealing the citrus design patterns. The abutments are the supports at both ends of the bridge.
The Lone Hill Ave. bridge will be the largest bridge on the 9.1-mile project from Glendora to Pomona. When completed, the bridge will span 344 feet from abutment to abutment. The super-structure will have a minimum vertical clearance of 24 feet to allow freight trains to travel underneath. This is the one location between Glendora and Pomona where the freight system will switch from south to north positions in the corridor to continue serving customers. To see what the bridge will look like when completed, click here for a 3D simulation.
Construction will continue on the Lone Hill Ave. bridge through the end of 2022, with long-term lane closures and a few days of full street closures ahead. To learn more, click here.
Phase 3 of Bonita Ave./Cataract Ave. Intersection Reconstruction in San Dimas – Falsework for New Light Rail Bridge Underway
  Photos: Falsework for the future light rail bridge over Bonita Ave./Cataract Ave. in San Dimas
Major changes are underway at the intersection of Bonita Ave./Cataract Ave. in San Dimas. As the intersection continues to progress through the third of four phases of reconfiguration, crews recently began installing the falsework between the two completed abutments to temporarily support the super-structure as it starts construction. As seen in the photos above, the various elements of the falsework, which includes a combination of steel and wood beams, are assembled on-site and installed to span from abutment to abutment across the intersection. Once in place, construction of the super-structure can begin.
Crews are currently in Phase 3 of a four-phased construction plan to reconfigure the Bonita Ave./Cataract Ave. intersection in San Dimas. This phase requires a full closure of Cataract Ave. north and south of Bonita Ave. through June 2022. Bonita Ave. traffic remains open in both directions, and the eastbound Bonita Ave. to southbound Cataract Ave. movement also remains open. For more information on the closure, click here.
To learn more about the intersection improvements and future light rail bridge, click here.
Glendora Station Construction Underway
  Photos: Crews constructing the platform for the future Glendora station
Within the corridor between Vermont Ave. and Glendora Ave. in Glendora, crews continue to make progress constructing the platform for the future Glendora station. Currently, crews are constructing the walls for the platform, as well as installing the conduit that will house the communications and power lines for various station elements, including the future ticket vending machines (TVM), lighting and security camera system.
The station will be a center platform station with light rail tracks soon to be installed on both sides (one for westbound and one for eastbound light rail trains). Featured throughout the station will be public artwork by Glendora station artist Michael Hillman (who is also a Glendora resident and professor of Art at Citrus College). A 300-space surface parking lot will be built to the south of the station in the future. For more information on the future Glendora station and artwork, click here.
Freight Service to Resume in Rail Corridor as Early as February 3
 Photo: Crews installing relocated freight track in San Dimas
In preparation for freight service to restart through the corridor from Pomona to Irwindale as early as the first week of February, crews are completing the finishing touches on the freight track relocation. There still remains some temporary track that will need to be updated in the coming months, as well as a short distance of freight track through Pomona that still needs to be relocated later this year; however, with the majority of the freight relocation work completed, crews have started building the light rail system.
Please stay alert for the freight trains as they begin to run again. Always expect a train. As required by the Federal Rail Administration, the freight trains will sound their horn as they approach each street crossing.
Demolition to Make Way for Future Pomona Station Parking Facility
 Photo: Crews demolishing vacated buildings to make way for the future Pomona station parking facility
At the site of the future parking facility for the Pomona station, crews continue to demolish several vacated buildings. In addition to spaces for Metro and Metrolink riders, the future parking facility will also provide amenities for riders arriving by walking, bicycle, bus and drop-off. To view the site plan for the future Pomona station and associated parking facility, click here.
OCS (Overhead Catenary System) Foundation Work
  Photos: (top) Crews constructing the foundations for the overhead catenary system in Glendora; (bottom) Completed OCS foundation
Throughout the corridor, crews are underway with the construction of the foundations for the overhead catenary system (OCS) that will provide electrical power to the light rail trains via overhead wires. Crews are drilling holes, installing steel cages and placing concrete to complete each foundation for the OCS. Hundreds of these foundations will be constructed from Glendora to Pomona.
In the future, during the final steps of the construction of the light rail system, crews will install poles on top of these foundations that will carry the catenary wires, as well as the rest of the overhead catenary system.
To see more of these and other activities that took place this past month, click here or below to watch the January 2022 project highlight video.
 Photo: Claremont Mayor Pro Tem Ed Reece (top right) and La Verne Council Member Robin Carder (top left) being sworn in as Chair and Vice Chair of the Foothill Gold Line board
At their January meeting, Claremont Mayor Pro Tem Ed Reece and La Verne Council Member Robin Carder were sworn in as the incoming Chair and Vice Chair of the Foothill Gold Line Construction Authority (Construction Authority) Board of Directors, after being unanimously elected in December. The two local elected representatives will lead the agency at a critical time. The westernmost 9.1-mile, four-station project segment from Glendora to Pomona is currently undergoing major construction; while the Construction Authority seeks the additional funding needed to complete the final three miles of the project that include stations in Claremont and Montclair.
Chair Reece and Vice Chair Carder have both been on the board for several years. During their tenure, the project segment from Glendora to Pomona has advanced from final design into major construction. And despite being underway in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the project segment is on budget and on time to be completed in 2025. Simultaneously, the agency is seeking funding from the State of California to fund the remainder of the project; allowing the line to connect to important regional destinations, including the Montclair TransCenter and the Claremont Colleges.
You can also read coverage of the new board leadership in the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin and Claremont Courier (both links may require subscription).
Thank you for your continued interest in the Foothill Gold Line. We appreciate your patience as we build this important regional project.
Lisa Levy Buch, Chief Communications and Strategic Development Officer and the Public Affairs Team
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