HOLLYWOOD : MTA Awards Contract for Tunnel Under Mountains
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority board approved a $136-million contract Wednesday for a company to dig a subway tunnel under the Santa Monica Mountains, connecting the subway’s Hollywood leg to the San Fernando Valley extension in North Hollywood.
The Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy and the Sierra Club asked the board to vote down the deal, arguing for more environmental review. Representatives of both groups said the MTA has not studied how the removal of billions of gallons of ground water will affect springs, wildlife and vegetation.
Work has been delayed on other segments of the project because of soil conditions. Last year, work in Hollywood was shut down for six months while crews pumped ground water from the tunnel area.
The contract was awarded to the Traylor Brothers/Fronteir-Kemper joint venture.
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