Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Subway route under Beverly Hills High declared safest option

Kids from the Beverly Hills Unified School District, sit in front of Beverly Hills High School in Beverly Hills January 10, 2010. Credit: Stefano Paltera / For The Los Angeles Times

A controversial proposal to build the Westside subway extension under Beverly Hills High School is the safest option, compared with a route through the fault-ridden ground under Santa Monica Boulevard, a team of engineering and seismic experts announced Thursday.

The panel, which was assembled by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority to analyze two possible alignments through Century City, also concluded that tunneling using the latest techniques could be done under the campus and nearby homes without endangering or disrupting the community.

“Tunneling will be safe through potentially gassy areas, and the soil is suitable,” said Harvey Parker, a tunneling consultant with 45 years of engineering experience. “There will be little or no impact on buildings, including Beverly Hills High School.”

If approved by the MTA board early next year, the route would pass about 70 feet under one building on the campus before it curves into Constellation Boulevard, where a station is planned at Avenue of the Stars. The campus, which has about 2,200 students, is on Moreno Drive.

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