Crews on Monday hoisted into place the final 35-ton concrete segments for Sound Transit’s South 200th Link light rail extension, connecting the new elevated structure to Sea-Tac Airport.
“Finishing the guideway moves us one step closer to extending light rail to the Angle Lake community,” said Sound Transit Board Chair and King County Executive Dow Constantine in a media release. “By next fall, Link riders will be able to board one stop south of the airport and ride congestion-free all the way to the University of Washington.”
Design-build contractor PCL Civil Constructors is nearing completion of the elevated superstructure. Additional work to set rails, erect the overhead catenary system that will power the trains, and install system communications remain before construction of the guideway is complete.
“When light rail reaches South 200th Street next year, thousands of folks in South King County will have access to job centers and other destinations,” said Sound Transit Board member and King County Council member Dave Upthegrove. “We appreciate the partnership of the Port of Seattle, the City of SeaTac, and the state Department of Transportation as project construction continues.”
The 1.6-mile guideway is part of the $383 million South 200th Link Extension project approved by voters in 2008 and is currently $20 million under budget. The concrete double-track guideway connects the light rail station at Sea-Tac International Airport to Angle Lake Station now under construction.
The agency is also building a 1,050-stall garage next to Angle Lake Station that will add needed transit user parking to South King County. The station will serve as the southern terminus for light rail until service to Kent/Des Moines opens in 2023.
The elevated guideway structure runs south along 28th Avenue South to South 200th Street. When service to Angle Lake begins in fall 2016, trains will operate every six minutes between SeaTac and the University of Washington during peak periods. The ride will take 37 minutes to downtown Seattle and 43 minutes to Husky Stadium. By 2018, the Angle Lake Station will serve 5,400 boardings each weekday.
The elevated Angle Lake Station includes passenger platforms, covered waiting areas, a transfer area for local and nearby RapidRide bus connections, dedicated areas for passenger pickup and drop-off, and vanpool parking.
Secured bicycle storage, street improvements to facilitate traffic circulation, bicycle and pedestrian access, and landscaping are also elements of the project. This summer, the agency will install a public art sculpture by artist Laura Haddad. Entitled “Cloud,” the sculpture will consist of hanging disks that will change appearance in response to changes in light, weather, or at the approach of a train.
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