University of Washington (Link station)

University of Washington
Light Rail Station
The main entrance, under construction in 2014
Coordinates	47°38′59″N 122°18′13″W / 47.6496°N 122.3037°W / 47.6496; -122.3037Coordinates: 47°38′59″N 122°18′13″W / 47.6496°N 122.3037°W / 47.6496; -122.3037
Owned by	Sound Transit
Line(s)	University Link Extension   Northgate Link Extension
History
Opened	2016 (planned)
Services
Preceding station   Link Light Rail   Following station Capitol Hill toward Westlake University Link Extension Terminus Terminus Northgate Link Extension U District toward Northgate

University of Washington Station will be an underground Sound Transit University Link light rail station near the University of Washington in Seattle. It is scheduled to open along with the rest of the University Link project in 2016. Sound Transit estimates that there will be 21,500 daily boardings at the station in 2030.^[1]

Location

The University of Washington, or UW, Station will be deep underground beneath what is now the Husky Stadium parking lot. Its entrance will be located adjacent to Husky Stadium, east of Montlake Boulevard between NE Pacific Street and NE Pacific Place. The entrance will have a curving pedestrian bridge between the station and the Rainier Vista on the UW campus. One will be able to access the bridge from just north of the Burke-Gilman Trail in the Rainier Vista, from the Triangle Plaza, and from the station itself.^[2]

Construction

The tunneling contract from UW Station to Capitol Hill Station came in under-budget by $86 million, or nearly 22%, in March 2009.^[3] A groundbreaking ceremony for the station was held in February 2009, and initial excavation began shortly thereafter. Construction of the deep slurry walls and excavation of the station box structure took place in 2010 and 2011. Tunneling toward the Capitol Hill Station began in 2011 and was completed in 2012. Construction of the station is expected to be completed by 2015, and revenue service is scheduled to begin in 2016.

An art installation known as the "Great Wall of Us" surrounds the construction site, and it will remain for the duration of the construction period. The wall, built by the university and Sound Transit, features photos of faces of various individuals taken at university events.^[4]

References