Sound Transit Completes Major Link Milestone

On Friday Sound Transit completed the five mile light rail link from Tukwila to Seattle. With approximately 85% of the structure elevated, this five mile bridge was completed on-time and on-budget. The first phase of our light rail system is now 75% complete and scheduled to begin service in the summer of 2009. Direct service to the airport will follow by the end of that year.

Sound Transit is continuing construction of the Beacon Hill tunnel and is making progress up and down the line. The Downtown Seattle Bus Tunnel retrofit was completed last month, on-time and on budget.

Sound Transit is also in the planning phase for an extension of the line from Westlake to the University of Washington (known as University Link).

Sound Transit received a lot of criticism earlier in its history and some of it was certainly justified, but since then, the agency has undergone a complete reformation. Today’s Sound Transit is one of the most well run agencies in the state and enjoys solid approval ratings.

Projects are completed within the original expectations and the agency has dramatically improved its cost estimates and timetables.

Sound Transit has proven that it can deliver what it is promising to the people of Puget Sound in the Roads & Transit package.