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Metro Celebrates Groundbreaking for Rosecrans/Marquardt Grade Separation

2:19 PM PDT on June 6, 2022

Yesterday, state and county officials broke ground on a much-needed grade separation that will carry Rosecrans Avenue over busy rail tracks in the southeast L.A. County city of Santa Fe Springs. Construction is already underway on the $156 million Rosecrans/Marquardt Grade Separation Project, which will benefit both rail passengers and drivers; both will be safer and will experience greater reliability in traveling through the area. The project is anticipated to be completed in 2025.

Rendering of Rosecrans/Marquardt grade separation bridge - via Metro video
Rendering of Rosecrans/Marquardt grade separation bridge - via Metro video

Last December the Metro board approved the project's construction contract.

The largest source of project funding is the California's High-Speed Rail Authority Prop 1A, as planned future high-speed rail into Anaheim will run at the site. See earlier SBLA coverage for a full breakdown of project funding.

At yesterday's groundbreaking ceremony (broadcast on Facebook), both County Supervisor Janice Hahn and Metro CEO Stephanie Wiggins recalled a tragic 2019 Metrolink train crash at the site. Hahn praised the project for fixing a "traffic nightmare" while providing "safer and more reliable connections" for Amtrak and Metrolink riders.

Metro photo of Rosecrans/Marquardt groundbreaking. Left to right are:
Metro photo of Rosecrans/Marquardt groundbreaking. Left to right are: Santa Fe Springs Councilmember Juanita Martin, CA High-Speed Rail Authority Southern California Regional Director LaDonna DiCamillo, Metro CEO Stephanie Wiggins, County Supervisor Janice Hahn, Santa Fe Springs Mayor Annette Rodriguez, Whittier City Councilmember Fernando Dutra, Federal Railroad Administration Regional Administrator James Jordan, Santa Fe Springs Director of Public Works Noe Negrete, Santa Fe Springs City Manager Ray Cruz, and Santa Fe Springs Councilmember John Mora.

When Streetsblog last visited the site in April, early construction work was already underway. In addition to demolition of several adjacent industrial buildings and erection of construction fencing, new metal power transmission poles had already been installed.

Now power transmission poles at Rosecrans/Marquardt
Now power transmission poles and temporary construction fencing at Rosecrans/Marquardt

Find additional coverage of the Rosecrans/Marquardt groundbreaking at Metro's The Source and the Whittier Daily News.

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