Los Angeles will soon have four rail projects under construction now that Metro's board has approved a $927.2-million construction contract for the Regional Connector light rail subway tunnel in DTLA. The board gave the green light at today's board meeting, handing the big job of building a nearly-two-mile tunnel and three new stations to a partnership between Skanska USA and Traylor Bros Inc. When completed in 2019 or 2020, the Regional Connector will allow direct travel between Santa Monica and East LA, and Long Beach and Azusa, plus bring tens of thousands of new riders to the system, according to estimates. And an extra happy development: the board approved a motion to include a pedestrian bridge and elevator at the Second/Hope station to take riders up to Bunker Hill.

The bridge will help riders get to The Broad museum more easily; they won't have to cross a street and trudge up a hill. The elevator will ascend 23 feet above Hope Street and the bridge will bring people right to The Broad's plaza deck.

The board also approved the purchase of an LA Times property near Broadway and Spring, near the future Second/Broadway station (which will only have one entrance/exit because of a mystery development planned by the Times's parent company).

· Metro Board approves $927-million contract for construction of Regional Connector project [The Source]

· Regional Connector's Bunker Hill Stop Could Get Grand Avenue Pedestrian Bridge Link-Up [Curbed LA]