Sound Transit recently opened the Northgate Link light-rail extension in Seattle.
The 4.3-mile extension adds three new stations to the system—at Northgate, Roosevelt, and U District—with trips of just 13 minutes from Northgate to downtown Seattle.
Sound Transit says in just three years, the Link light-rail transit network will nearly triple in reach, from 22 miles to 62 miles, with service to Tacoma’s Hilltop in 2022; East King County in 2023; and Lynnwood, Federal Way, and Downtown Redmond in 2024.
"The opening of Northgate Link is a great leap forward for Puget Sound commuters, the first of many leaps forward for Sound Transit in the coming years," Sound Transit CEO Peter Rogoff said in a statement. "As Sound Transit looks to nearly triple our light-rail network in just the next three years, we are thankful for the hard work and dedication of staff and the construction workforce in achieving this monumental feat in the middle of a pandemic."
The project’s $1.9 billion baseline budget includes a $615 million credit agreement under the Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA), which provided significant long-term savings for regional taxpayers through reduced borrowing costs, Sound Transit said. The project is coming in approximately $50 million under budget.
Multiple contractors worked on the project. Tunneling work was performed by JCM Northlink, a joint venture formed by Jay Dee Contractors, Frank Collucio Construction Company and Michaels Corporation. Hoffmann Construction was the contractor for the University District and Roosevelt stations, while Absher Construction was the contractor for Northgate Station. Stacy and Witbeck was the contractor for trackwork, and Mass Electric was the contractor for systems.
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SOURCE: Sound Transit
