Wilshire Boulevard Closure: 3 Weeks Of Roadwork Will Shut Down Busy Stretch

BEVERLY HILLS, CA — A four-block section of Wilshire Boulevard will be shut down for three weeks this spring as part of the Metro subway construction project.

The thoroughfare will be shut down in the heart of Beverly Hills — between El Camino Drive and Crescent Drive — from March 17 to April 7.

While only about 1,000 feet of the road will be closed, the closure's location means that motorists with destinations on Wilshire will be forced to use circuitous routes through what already are some of the worst congested areas of Los Angeles County.

A traffic study found that 80% of traffic will be rerouted via Beverly, North Santa Monica, San Vicente and La Cienega boulevards — representing drivers using Wilshire as an east-west route. The remaining 20% is traffic heading to or from the Golden Triangle or the residential area south of Wilshire, city documents show.

The closure is necessary as part of the Purple (D Line) Subway Extension project. The closure will allow crews to remove deck panels and restore the Wilshire Boulevard roadway that was impacted by the Wilshire/Rodeo station construction, according to city officials.

Metro initially planned to close the section of Wilshire over 18 weekends to complete that work, but ironed out a deal with the city to come up with this closure schedule as an alternative.

In addition to the Wilshire closure, South Reeves Drive at Wilshire Boulevard will be closed for three weeks — starting Feb. 24 — to allow crews to install a 16-foot sound barrier to minimize construction noise.

The D Line Extension project will bring the existing subway line, which travels between downtown LA and Koreatown, to the Westside. The first section, slated to open at the end of this year, includes three new stations on Wilshire Boulevard — at La Brea Avenue, Fairfax Avenue and La Cienega Boulevard.

• Read more: Beverly Hills Pulls The Plug On 2nd Wilshire/Rodeo Subway Entrance

The second section, set to open next year, includes the Wilshire/Rodeo and Century City/Constellation stations. The third section, set to open in 2027, includes the Westwood/UCLA and Westwood/VA Hospital stations.

Additional information on D Line construction in Beverly Hills is available on the city's website.