At long last, light appears at the end of the tunnel for MyFigueroa.

Last week, the Los Angeles Department of Transportation announced that construction will start in October for the long-awaited makeover of the Figueroa Corridor.  The $20-million project will provide a variety of streetscape improvements between Downtown Los Angeles and Exposition Park, including protected bike lanes, new bus platforms and landscaping.

Segments of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and 11th Street will also see upgrades under the plan.

Completion of the project is expected in 2017, at which point it will coincide with similar improvements slated for 7th Street.

Although MyFigueroa enjoys widespread support from area residents and elected officials, progress has not occurred controversy-free.  An appeal of project in 2013 by the owner several Downtown car dealerships questions its potential impacts on local businesses.