After the first section of LA Metro’s D Line extension opened months later than initially expected and projected opening dates for the remaining sections shifted, construction is continuing west toward Westwood with the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games less than two years away.
The D Line begins at Union Station in downtown Los Angeles and runs west through Koreatown. The nearly 9-mile extension begins at Wilshire/Western and will eventually carry the line to Westwood, according to Metro’s D Line project page.
The first section of the extension, which extends the subway from Koreatown to the Wilshire/La Cienega area, opened May 8 — broadening commuters’ subway access west along Wilshire Boulevard, according to the Metro website. The section added stations at Wilshire/La Brea, Wilshire/Fairfax and Wilshire/La Cienega.
The opening came after delays. Metro had previously expected Section 1 to open in fall 2025 before pushing the opening to winter 2026. Testing took longer than expected, and the section ultimately opened in May, according to LAist.
The timelines for the remaining sections have also changed. Section 2 will extend the line through Beverly Hills to Century City, while Section 3 will continue from Century City to Westwood, adding stations at Westwood/UCLA and the West Los Angeles VA Medical Center. In July 2025, Metro said Sections 2 and 3 were expected to open in 2027 and 2028, respectively. By January 2026, however, a Metro project presentation listed Section 2 as expected to open in spring 2027 and Section 3 in fall 2027. Metro’s current project page does not list estimated opening dates for either section, saying only that construction remains underway.
The extension aims to “improve access” and “reduce travel time” for commuters, according to the Metro project page. The project is also part of Metro’s broader preparations for the 2028 Games. UCLA will serve as the Olympic and Paralympic Village, housing athletes and support personnel during the Games, according to LA28. The Westwood/UCLA station will be in Westwood Village, south of UCLA’s main campus, and is intended to improve access to the university, according to Metro.
Metro has described the D Line extension as a critical part of its transportation plans for the Games, when Los Angeles is expected to experience increased travel demand. In an October 2025 news release, Metro called the D Line extension to Westwood “critical to the success” of the Games and said that without it, moving athletes, media and fans through some of Los Angeles’ busiest corridors would be “nearly impossible.” Metro said the extension is part of its preparations for the 2028 Games.
Metro has previously attributed delays on Section 1 to testing that took longer than expected and additional surface work around the stations. According to LAist, Metro said testing included ensuring that stations, trains and other critical systems could properly communicate with the Rail Operations Center. Contractors also had to complete surface improvements, including sidewalks, curbs and gutters, before the section could open.
USC adjunct professor of engineering practice Shen said delays are normal for a project of this scale.
“There’s never, in complex projects, a project like D-Line, a straightforward where you can just turn around and deliver as you wish. Large infrastructure projects delay often is attributed by either additional community input, plus the technical issues that need to be overcome,” he said.
For USC students, potential traffic concerns during the Olympics remain a topic of discussion.
“If the extension is not completed by then, it can create a lot of room for more accidents,” said Osemdi Nwabuzor, a junior in the Iovine and Young Academy. “People are not going to be able to get to places on time. I won’t be able to go home on time.”
“Even my parents were talking about potentially being out of the country during the Olympics due to there being a lot of traffic. Even people living on campus won’t be able to navigate going other places,” she said.
Journey Wilson, a junior majoring in public relations and advertising, expressed similar concerns.
“I think a lot of people wanting to go to work will also have struggles with that. So I do think everyone should probably be concerned about this extension,” she said.
Although residents have concerns, Shen said that even if the D Line extension is completed, he does not expect it to eliminate traffic problems during the Olympics.
“We will have extraordinary traffic demand that is historical, but our infrastructure would never be built to accommodate such extraordinary demand for a short period of time,” he said.
Shen also offered advice for Los Angeles residents during the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
“There will be times of day where people should just stay home or go elsewhere if they do not want themselves to be caught in traffic,” he said.
Edited by Zayane El Solh