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Highlights of this issue include: Major Construction Activities Begin on University Link, I-5 Undercrossing Update, Capitol Hill Business Mitigation, Capitol Hill Station: Recapping the Construction Kick-off Meeting, Capitol Hill Art: Call to Artists, and Capitol Hill Station: Transit Oriented Development Community Forum

S. 56th Street scheduled for weekend closures

Beginning on the evening of Friday, January 22 and again on the evening of Friday, January 29, the street crossing at S. 56th Street is scheduled to be fully closed to traffic as the crossing is demolished and reconstructed over the weekend.  The work will be performed in stages so the crossing can reopen to traffic by the following Monday morning on both weekends.  

This week track reconstruction was completed and a rail turnout was installed in the area between Atlas-Bradken and the Highway 16 overpass.  Next week a section of track north of S. 56th Street will be demolished and reconstructed.  The work is not expected to disrupt Tacoma Rail service to their customers.   By the end of next week, all track construction between S. Chandler Street and the S. 66th Street overpass will be completed.

Excavation work between Steilacoom Blvd. SW and 108th Street continues and site preparation work begins with clearing and grubbing between S. 66th Street and Steilacoom Blvd.   Signals are being installed at S. Chandler, S. 50th Street and S. 56th Street over the next three weeks.

For more information about the project visit the M Street to Lakewood Project page or contact Roger Iwata at roger.iwata@soundtransit.org or 206-689-4904.

Construction activities for the Capitol Hill light rail station began on Monday, 1/11/10.  Denny Way is now closed to traffic between Broadway and 10th for the next several years.  More information and a map are here >>>

Sound Transit invites you to learn more about the upcoming construction activities by attending the Construction Kick-off Meeting on Thursday, Jan 14, 2010 at Seattle Central Community College, Room 1110, from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm. A presentation will begin at 6:30 pm.

Night time construction work

Construction at the I-5 undercrossing is well underway! Sound Transit’s contractor, Condon-Johnson, anticipates finishing the contract this summer. In order to meet that milestone, crews will begin working additional hours.

Starting January 11, 2010, crews will begin working two 10-hour shifts between the hours of 7:00 am and 3:00 am. As the excavation of the pits reaches final depth, shifts will expand to two 12-hour shifts.

The City of Seattle is issuing a variance to the noise ordinance in order to allow this work to take
place outside of normal construction hours (7 a.m. and 10 p.m.). This noise variance restricts the kind of activities that can take place outside of normal construction hours. Most of the work will be taking place underground inside the pits and will include: excavation, concrete placement, rebar placement, welding, drilling tiebacks, etc. More details here >>>

For questions about I-5 undercrossing activities related to Sound Transit’s University Link light rail
construction, please contact Community Outreach Specialist Erin Hunter, 206-370-5511 or erin.hunter@soundtransit.org

Rail crossing at S. Wilkeson will close to weekend traffic   

Starting at 6:00 p.m. on Friday, 12/11, the rail crossing at S. Wilkeson will be fully closed to traffic as the crossing is demolished and reconstructed.  The crossing is expected to partially reopen to traffic the following Monday morning and be completely open by Monday evening.  However, this work is weather dependant so the schedule and timing could change with conditions. 

Crews this week are working to restore sections of track between S. 50th and S. 56th streets.  The work is being coordinated with Tacoma Rail in order to retain rail service to X-Cel Feeds.  Next week, work begins north of S. 56th St. where crews will be building the mainline and installing track switches. 

Excavation and grading work continues in several areas as equipment and crews are available. 

For more information about the project visit the M Street to Lakewood Project page or contact Roger Iwata at roger.iwata@soundtransit.org or 206-689-4904.

As part of the D-to-M Streets Track and Signal Project, renderings combine photos of existing conditions in downtown Tacoma and the planned tracks, signals and bridges that will move Sounder service farther south.

The new three-dimensional renderings show Sounder train tracks connecting the Tacoma Dome and South Tacoma stations. A Pacific Avenue Bridge is shown crossing over the avenue and under Interstate 705. The D-to-M streets project makes it possible for Sounder commuter rail to serve Lakewood and South Tacoma.

In 2008, the state legislature directed Sound Transit and the Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC) to complete a feasibility study to “determine whether commuter rail service between eastern Snohomish County and eastern King County…can be a meaningful component of the region’s future transportation system”.  The study was completed in January 2009.  It was determined that commuter rail on the Eastside BNSF is feasible and could be a meaningful component of the region’s future transportation system.  See this PDF file for a brief summary of the analysis.

The feasibility study materials and reports are available on the PSRC website at www.psrc.org/projects/bnsf/reports.htm