Construction of L.A. Metro’s Westside Purple Line halted over safety issues
The construction of the Westside Purple Line was halted over safety concerns after a woman was struck by a piece of rebar from construction materials on Monday morning. The incident has prompted the district to postpone construction on the $2.7 billion project.
The woman, who was traveling westbound on the 10 Freeway, was struck by the rebar after exiting the I-405 interchange.
The incident took place about 2:45 a.m. Monday and forced the district to suspend all construction activity on nearby ramps and grade crossings.
Metro has installed safety features on the two I-405 ramp accesses, and the two Westside Purple Line tracks have been temporarily closed. Officials say other structures on the line are not to be disturbed as a result.
The woman, an employee of an interior designer in Manhattan Beach, was taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
Metro officials have not identified the piece of rebar that struck the woman. It is not clear how the accident occurred but Los Angeles fire officials have said the woman struck the piece while moving through a turnstile.
The freeway is now open, but the Westside Purple Line construction is still on hold.
A freeway in the San Fernando Valley has been closed for weeks after a construction worker was fatally beaten. The attack occurred on February 2 when a 34-year-old Cal State Fullerton man was struck in the head by a crane cable that was being hoisted up a 12-foot-high utility pole on the westbound 10 Freeway in Monrovia.
Afterward, the victim was found unconscious in his vehicle. He was pronounced dead at a local hospital. The suspect, a 32-year-old Monrovia resident, was arrested two days later.
He reportedly told police he left a friend’s home where he had been staying to go to work at the construction site and was returning home after work. He said he was going on foot as he was a bit drunk, according to police. He reportedly got out of his vehicle and began punching the windshield, the Los Angeles Times reported.
He was arrested at his residence and brought to a downtown jail cell where he was taken into custody just prior to 6 p.m
