Expo Line hits major milestone

Ground broke Friday for major construction of the Expo Line, a light rail project reaching from downtown Los Angeles to the Westside that should be ready to roll in 2010.

The contractor for the Exposition Construction Authority on Friday began excavation of a trench near the USC/Expo Park area, considered a major milestone for the project. Ground first broke for the project in September 2006.

The $640 million light rail project includes 10 new stations along the Exposition right-of-way from downtown Los Angeles to Washington/National in Culver City, about an 8.5 mile stretch. However Metro's board of directors envisions the line extending into Santa Monica.