Sound Transit announcement.
Construction and testing are happening throughout the Hilltop Tacoma Link Extension project area, including crews continuing the roadway restoration and station finishes, adjusting utilities, testing systems, and repairing damages to the concrete and rail along the alignment. The contract is also working on final checklist items, which come up at the end of a project to complete or correct any issues along the project area.
The construction and work schedule are dependent on weather. Please allow for extra travel time to get to your destination and follow detour signage. For details of the traffic control effects, please scroll down to the “Where” section.
Access to hospitals, medical centers and the emergency department will remain open during construction.
Please support your local businesses during construction. Let’s stay Loyal to the Local!
What
Continued construction and traffic restrictions along Stadium Way, N. 2nd Street, Division Avenue, Martin Luther King Jr. Way and the Dome District. More details specific to neighborhoods are provided below.
When
- Feb. 10 update: Work will occur throughout both day and nighttime hours.
Where
Entire project area:
- Light rail train and track testing along the Hilltop Tacoma Link Extension project continues. In February and March, the contractor will continue to perform various system and vehicle testing.
- We’ll be closing corners at signalized intersections along the corridor to install signage and replace damaged signal heads through late February.
- Daytime and nighttime track and light rail vehicle testing, electrical testing, traffic signal modifications, decorative sidewalk cutting, channeling revisions, completing final touches in stations, and finishing overhead wiring work for the future light rail system will happen in various locations along the alignment during the week (Commerce Street, Stadium Way, N. 1st Street, Division Avenue and MLK Jr. Way).
- This construction will involve work at night and on weekends. The contractor has obtained a nighttime/weekend noise variance, a permit that allows them to make more noise than is typically allowed. They will need to temporarily remove parking and shift traffic to maintain a safe working area. Work will occur at night during the week and start as early as 7 a.m. on the weekends. The noise variance will be in place until the end of March.
- The overhead wires are now fully energized. Although we have asked the public to treat the wires as if they are live since the installation, the wires are now officially live. Please be aware and coordinate with our project team and operations about any work that needs to happen near the trackway wires.
- The T Line terminus will be at the Commerce Street Station, and the train will temporarily turn back at 7th and Commerce until we start testing in 2023. Please make sure to stay within the parking lanes so as to not impede T Line vehicle access.
- Due to winter weather, final road and parking lane striping in various areas will happen later in the year. Crews will schedule striping when the weather allows.
Dome District:
- No civil work planned related to the project
Commerce/Stadium Way:
- 7th and Commerce to northbound I-705 outbound will be fully closed from Feb. 13 – 14 for track repairs and signal replacement. A detour will be available at 9th Street.
- Northbound N. 1st St./N. E St./Stadium Way (Stadium Curve) from Tacoma Avenue to Division Avenue has reopened. A specialized contractor will come back at a future date to inspect the grinded rail.
- See entire project area information for nighttime and weekend work.
Stadium District (N. E St., N. 1st St., Division Ave.):
- Eastbound North 1st Street from Yakima Street to Tacoma Avenue will be fully closed as early as Feb. 13 through Feb.17 for final repairs. Parking will be removed in the area for these repairs. The contractor will close the westbound direction after completion of the eastbound lane work.
- Eastbound and westbound Division between North and South J Street is now open.
- Eastbound and westbound Division from MLK Jr. Way to Yakima will be open as early as Feb. 10.
- Future street closures:
- Westbound North 1st Street from Yakima Street to Tacoma Avenue will be fully closed as early as Feb. 20 through Feb. 24 for final repairs. Parking will be removed in the area for these repairs.
- Westbound North 1st Street from Broadway to Tacoma will be fully closed as early as Feb. 27 through March 1 for final repairs during the nighttime hours. Parking will be removed in the area for these repairs.
- Eastbound North 1st Street from Tacoma to Broadway will be fully closed as early as March 1 through March 3 for final repairs. Parking will be removed in the area for these repairs.
- Northbound I Street at the east side of 2nd St will fully close for roadway restoration as early Feb. 28 through March 15 and on the west side of 2nd Street as early as March 13 through March 18. This work is dependent on final corrections on Division Avenue from MLK to Yakima Avenue.
- Tacoma Ave and North 1st Street will have a corner closure for the removal of a diesel storage tank with as early as Feb. 23 through March 3. Parking will need to be removed.
- The Yakima intersection at 2nd Street will fully close for roadway restoration in late March 2023.
Hilltop/MLK Jr. Way:
- The permanent signals will be installed at the crosswalk to Tacoma General Hospital mid/late February. This work will require closures in both directions.
- The city and Sound Transit walked the project area and have found items that need repair by the contractor which will require short term directional closures of MLK in sections to maintain a safe work area. Work will include track slab repair, sidewalk repair and other types of concrete repair. The contractor will keep traffic open where space allows. This work continues to late March.
- The intersection at MLK Jr. Way and 13th St. is scheduled for track repair, including demolition of some track, clean-up and potential replacement of rail. This work can take up to 2 weeks to complete and started on Feb. 6. Parking will be removed in the northbound direction between just south of S. 13th Street to Earnest S. Brazill Street. This work may be extended to S. 14th for parking removal to complete the repair.
- MLK Jr. Way at S. 11th Street adjacent to the Hilltop District Street Station will have directional street closures as early as Feb. 13 through Feb. 15 for final repairs. Parking will be removed during this work and the contractor will try to minimize where possible.
- MLK Jr. Way at the 6th Avenue adjacent to the 6th Avenue Station will have directional street closures as early as Feb. 15 through Feb. 17 for final repairs. Parking will be removed during this work and the contractor will try to minimize where possible.
- Future street closures:
- Crews will be working on MLK Jr. Way and Earnest S. Brazill Street, installing drainage along the future light rail trackway. Work will require a full closure of the intersection. This will take about 6 days of work and is scheduled to start in March or April 2023.
