Los Angeles residents and commuters should prepare for a disruption in their travel plans as major subway closures loom over the coming weekend. Starting early morning on Saturday, the Los Angeles Metro will close the D Line subway between Wilshire/Vermont and Wilshire/Western through the evening of Thursday, July 24, according to information shared on Metro Los Angeles' Facebook page. The closures will allow the integration of the current subway line with the new extension toward the Westside, which includes updates to communication, ventilation, and emergency sprinkler systems.
The interruption is part of the effort to complete the D Line Extension Project, a key infrastructure development that will add new stations along Wilshire Boulevard. In a statement obtained by CBS Los Angeles, stations set to open as part of Section 1 include Wilshire/La Brea, Wilshire/Fairfax, and Wilshire/La Cienega, expected to welcome passengers by the fall of 2025. The project, which began in 2019, will ultimately be completed in 2027.
During the closure period, Metro plans to offset the inconvenience with service adjustments, providing a new shuttle bus, Line 855, as well as increasing the frequency of the B Line trains. "A new Metro shuttle bus (Line 855) will run between Wilshire/Vermont, Wilshire/Normandie and Wilshire/Western stations," says the Metro Los Angeles Facebook post. Operating hours for the shuttle will be from 5:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. on weekdays and from 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. on weekends. Moreover, B Line trains will run with increased frequency from 6:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m, cutting wait times down from 12 minutes to 8 minutes.
As Los Angeles continues to evolve its public transportation system, the extension will fill in critical gaps across the city's sprawling network. "Extending the D Line subway to the Westside will provide a great alternative to traffic and fill a big hole in our rail system," Metro emphasized on its Facebook page. The subsequent phases of the D Line Extension are slated for completion, with Section 2 opening in 2026 and Section 3 in 2027.
