Sound Transit announcement.
Construction and testing are happening throughout the Hilltop Tacoma Link Extension project area. Crews are continuing the roadway restoration and station finishes, adjusting utilities, testing systems, and repairing damages to the concrete and rail along the alignment. Also, the contractor is working on final checklist items, which come up at the end of a project, fixing any issues along the project area.
We are getting close to the end of the civil construction phase. It was announced at our last board meeting that we are looking at an opening window of late July to early September. It is more likely that it will be in the latter half of that timeframe.
Some of the work schedule is 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.
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, N. I Street, Division Avenue, Martin Luther King Jr. Way and the Dome District. More details specific to neighborhoods are provided below.
When
March 10 update: Work will occur throughout both the day and nighttime hours.
Where
Entire project area:
- Rail grinding will occur along the corridor as early as March 13. This work will take place during the day (off peak) and night, for up to three hours at a time. Expect temporary traffic control effects and grinding noise during the work. Crews will be working at the intersection of:
- MLK Jr. Way and S. 18th Street.
- MLK Jr. Way, from S. 16th Street to S. 15th Street.
- MLK Jr. Way, from S. 13th Street to S. 12th Street.
- MLK Jr. Way and S. 5th Street.
- MLK Jr. Way and Division Ave.
- N. 1st Street and Tacoma Avenue (may require lane closures and nighttime work).
- N. 1st St. westbound between Tacoma Avenue and Yakima Avenue.
- Stadium Way and Division Ave.
- System Integration Testing along the Hilltop Tacoma Link Extension project continues. Starting as early as March 20, the contractor will perform various signal, vehicle, and track testing throughout the project area. The testing will occur at night, with flaggers and uniformed police officers acting as roving traffic control, along the future alignment.
- 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 T Line will end at the Commerce Street Station. The train will temporarily turn back at S. 7th Street and Commerce St., until we start testing in 2023. Please make sure to stay within the parking lanes to not impede T Line vehicle access.
- Due to the winter weather, final road and parking lane striping in various areas will occur later in the year. Crews will schedule striping when the weather allows (as early as March 20). This activity does require dry weather so the contractor will schedule when possible.
Dome District:
- No civil work planned related to the project.
Commerce/Stadium Way:
- Stadium Way, between Division Avenue and I-705, will have alternating traffic controlled by flaggers at night, starting March 13 to March 17. During this timeframe, the contractor will be adjusting the overhead light rail wires and performing ride quality tests/rail grinding.
- See entire project area information for nighttime and weekend work.
Stadium District (N. E St., N. 1st St., Division Ave.):
- Northbound N. I Street, at the east side of N. 2nd Street, is closed for roadway restoration through March 13. The work will shift to the west side of N. 2nd St. as early as March 13 through March 24.
- Future street closures:
- The Yakima intersection at N. 2nd St. will fully close for roadway restoration as early as March 27. Parking will be affected near the work area. This work will start right after the I Street closure is complete.
Hilltop/MLK Jr. Way:
- The city and Sound Transit walked the project area and have found items that need repair by the contractor. This 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.
- MLK Jr. Way at 6th Avenue adjacent to the 6th Avenue Station will have directional street closures as early as March 8 through March 11 for final repairs. Parking will be removed during this work and the contractor will try to minimize where possible.
- Crews returned to the SE corner of MLK Jr. Way and South 9th Street to redo the curb/gutter/sidewalk. The driveway off of MLK Jr. Way to the strip mall is scheduled to reopen on March 15 to ensure the concrete fully cures.
- 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 six days and is scheduled to start in April 2023.
