East Link Extension (Sound Transit)

East Link Extension map
 Downtown Redmond
 SE Redmond
 Redmond Technology Center
 Overlake Village
 Bel-Red/130th
 Spring District/120th
 Wilburton
 Bellevue Downtown
East Main
 South Bellevue
East Channel Bridge
over Lake Washington
Mercer Island
Homer M. Hadley Mem. Bridge
over Lake Washington
 Judkins Park
 Central Link

The East Link Extension is a planned Sound Transit Link Light Rail line, spanning about 14 miles (23 km) from Downtown Seattle eastward to the city of Redmond. Funding for construction of the segment between Downtown Seattle and Overlake Transit Center was approved by voters in November 2008, while the final segment between Overlake Transit Center and Downtown Redmond was approved in 2016 as part of the Sound Transit 3 ballot measure. Construction of East Link began in 2016, and the line is scheduled to open for service to Overlake in 2023.[1] An extension to downtown Redmond will open in 2024. An estimated 50,000 passengers will use East Link every day by 2030.[2]

The line will operate as the Blue Line when it opens in 2023, interlining with the Red Line from Northgate to International District/Chinatown.[3]

Routing

On April 25, 2013, the Sound Transit board decided on a final route for East Link,[4] traveling east from International District/Chinatown station in Seattle, across Lake Washington and Mercer Island, through Bellevue and Bel-Red to Overlake Transit Center in Redmond.[5]

From the International District/Chinatown Station, trains will travel on existing ramps to the Interstate 90 express lanes from the Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel, possibly in mixed traffic with buses. The I-90 express lanes, which formerly carried vehicle traffic (both single-occupancy vehicles and high-occupancy vehicles (HOV)), were permanently closed on June 4, 2017. The former roadway will be modified to serve only trains, and an all-day HOV lane has been added to each direction of the I-90 bridge.[6] The trains will use the center roadway from Seattle through the Mount Baker Tunnel, across Lake Washington on the Homer M. Hadley Memorial Bridge, under Aubrey Davis Park on Mercer Island, and on the East Channel Bridge to South Bellevue. Trains will turn and head north from I-90 along Bellevue Way and 112th, before cutting across to Main and I-405. In Downtown Bellevue, the trains will go through a tunnel underneath 110th, a plan that the board decided upon in July 2011.[1] From there, trains will head east at NE 12th street past Overlake Hospital through the Bel-Red industrial area along NE 16th street. In the Overlake neighborhood, trains will connect with State Route 520 and head north towards Downtown Redmond and Redmond Town Center.[7]

Construction

Groundbreaking ceremony for East Link on April 22, 2016

East Link construction began in April 2016 with the demolition of homes along the right-of-way of the south portal to the Bellevue tunnel in the Surrey Downs neighborhood (near East Main station).[8] A formal groundbreaking ceremony was held in Downtown Bellevue on April 22, 2016.[9] Tunnel construction in Bellevue began in February 2017.[10]

The remainder of the line, including the Interstate 90 corridor and Bel-Red, will begin construction later in 2017.[11]

Technical challenges

When the light rail line is completed, it will be the first time that a light rail line has operated on a floating bridge. Challenges faced by Sound Transit include stray current, expansion and contraction of the bridge itself, weight of the rail infrastructure (rails, catenary, etc.), weight of the light rail vehicles, and the expansion joint on either end of the bridge.

Stations

Name City/Neighborhood Location Other
From Northgate via the Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel
East Link (Downtown Seattle - Bellevue - Redmond)
International District/Chinatown International District Under S. Jackson St. and 5th Ave. S. Connections to Central Link, Sounder Commuter Rail and First Hill Streetcar
Judkins Park Central District In the median of Interstate 90 at Rainier Ave. S.
Mercer Island Mercer Island In the median of Interstate 90 at 77th Ave. S.E. Park & ride improvements
South Bellevue Bellevue Above Bellevue Way S.E. at 112th Ave. S.E. Park & ride, bus transfer improvements
East Main Bellevue At Main St. and 112th Ave. S.E.
Bellevue Downtown Bellevue Under 110th Ave. N.E. at N.E. 6th St. Serves Bellevue Transit Center
Wilburton Bellevue Above N.E. 8th St. along BNSF Woodinville Subdivision corridor
Spring District/120th Bellevue On N.E. 16th St. at 120th Ave. N.E.
Bel-Red/130th Bellevue On N.E. 16th St. at 130th Ave. N.E.
Overlake Village Bellevue, Redmond Next to State Route 520 at 152nd Ave. N.E.
Redmond Technology Center Redmond Next to State Route 520 at N.E. 40th St. Serves Redmond Technology Park (Microsoft, Nintendo, etc.)
End of light rail extension funded by Sound Transit 2
SE Redmond Redmond Next to SR 520/Avondale Road at N.E. 70th St Park & ride improvements, near Marymoor Park
Downtown Redmond Redmond Possibly on BNSF Right of Way at Leary Way (Undecided) Serves downtown Redmond
End of line

References

  1. 1 2 "East Link Project Update" (PDF). Sound Transit. January 2012. Retrieved March 11, 2012.
  2. ↑ "East Link Extension". Sound Transit. Retrieved July 9, 2014.
  3. ↑ "University Link Extension Project update: First phase of University Link testing complete". Sound Transit. June 30, 2015. Retrieved April 14, 2016.
  4. ↑ Lindblom, Mike (April 25, 2013). "Sound Transit signs off on Bellevue’s light-rail route". The Seattle Times. Retrieved May 15, 2014.
  5. ↑ Lindblom, Mike (April 22, 2013). "In historic step, Bellevue approves light-rail route". The Seattle Times. Retrieved May 15, 2014.
  6. ↑ "I-90 - Two-Way Transit and HOV Operations". Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT). Retrieved May 23, 2009.
  7. ↑ "East Link Preferred Alternatives" (PDF). Sound Transit. Retrieved May 23, 2009.
  8. ↑ Whittenburg, Jake (April 13, 2016). "Home demolitions begin Monday in Bellevue for East Link light rail". KING-TV. Retrieved April 22, 2016.
  9. ↑ "Sound Transit kicks off East Link light rail construction" (Press release). Sound Transit. April 22, 2016. Retrieved April 22, 2016.
  10. ↑ "East Link tunnel construction is underway in downtown Bellevue" (Press release). Sound Transit. February 24, 2017. Retrieved February 24, 2017.
  11. ↑ "ST Spotlight: Building East Link". Sound Transit. Retrieved April 22, 2016.
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