After years of delay, construction is scheduled to begin in January for Union Station's new Silver Line bus platform within the median of the El Monte Busway.

Earlier today, Metro announced an impending four-month closure of the US-101 Vignes Street on- and off-ramps starting January 3, 2017.  This shutdown will allow crews to begin work on the new platform, which will streamline transfers between the Silver Line and other transit operations within Union Station.

The project would connect to the existing Patsaouras Plaza through a 500-foot pedestrian bridge, eliminating an existing Silver Line stop along Alameda Street. The new platform and bridge are intended to serve as a boon to both convenience and safety for passengers.  In addition to providing a faster route to other rail and bus lines within Union Station, the project will also eliminate a currently lengthy transfer process that requires an approximately quarter-mile walk with multiple street crossings.

Construction of the Silver Line platform has previously been reported to be behind schedule and over budget, owing in part to faulty engineering documents.

A fact sheet posted to the Metro website points to a completion date in 2018.

The Silver Line platform is one of many uprgrades slated for Union Station, including run-through tracks that would allow through-routing across the US-101 freeway and an ambitious master plan.