The Hilltop Tacoma Link construction is now 80% complete, and we’re scheduled to open in summer/fall 2022!
Over the past several months, crews have installed most of the track as well as stations, electrical substations, overhead wires, poles, signals, curbs, gutters, pavement and more. We’re excited to ride Tacoma Link with you in Hilltop and Stadium next year!
We appreciate your continued patience during construction. To keep on schedule, crews will be working along the route, including in the business districts, during the holidays.
In December, crews will continue construction in the Hilltop, Stadium, and Commerce Street business districts and will resume construction near Tacoma General and Kaiser Permanente. This work will include:
- Curb and gutter on the west side of Martin Luther King Jr. Way from S. 16th St. to S. 13th St.
- Curb and gutter on the north side of Division Avenue from MLK Jr. Way to Yakima Ave.
- Overhead wires on N. 1st St. and Stadium Way south to the traction power substation at night.
- Signals work at intersections, including at the MLK Jr. Way/Division Ave., Broadway/N. 1st St., and Division Avenue/I St. intersections.
- Station finishes at the Old City Hall Station on Commerce St.
- Fiber optic wire installation along the entire Hilltop Tacoma Link route at night.
- Tacoma General Station on Martin Luther King Jr. Way south of S. 3rd St. near Tacoma General and Kaiser Permanente.
We’ll be working with the City of Tacoma and our contractor to minimize community impacts. Access will be open to businesses and driveways. We’ll keep people moving, work around businesses’ schedules, and keep parking open as much as possible.
In early 2022, five light rail vehicles are scheduled to arrive. Then, we’ll test the trains and systems. Some construction work will continue in spring 2022. We’ll continue to keep you updated on our schedule and progress.
Questions or concerns? Please contact Liz Ellis at liz.ellis@soundtransit.org or 253.208.0586. Thank you again!
During this holiday season, please continue to shop, dine and do business along the Hilltop Tacoma Link route! To encourage customers to keep coming during the holidays and construction, Sound Transit is advertising our “Loyal to the Local” campaign and highlighting specific businesses with videos and Facebook ads.
Sound Transit also proudly sponsors several holiday events, including the Holiday Haul Crawl on Dec. 4 on Antique Row/Commerce St., and the Hilltop Holiday Crawl and Holidayz on the Hill, Dec. 18, in Hilltop! The Downtown Tacoma Partnership, Hilltop Business Association, Hilltop Action Coalition and businesses organized these community events to support businesses and encourage neighbors to come together. We’re also sponsoring holiday lights in the Stadium Business District. Thank you to the event organizers and community for being Loyal to the Local during the holidays and throughout the year!
By the end of 2021, crews will have installed six light rail stations along the route and five electrical substations to power the trains. Hilltop and Stadium look different now with tracks, Link power poles, overhead wires, signals, and new pavement! Thank you to everyone building this project – we appreciate you!
These renderings show what some of the stations will look like when operations begin next year. The trains will share the street with people driving, riding the bus, biking, walking, rolling, and more.
 
As we get ready to open for service, Sound Transit will hire more employees in the Operations and Maintenance Facility in Tacoma: light rail vehicle operators, mechanics, and supply and administrative positions. We’re currently advertising for several new positions. Look for these and more job opportunities in the next year at soundtransit.org/get-to-know-us/jobs. Please consider applying for these jobs!
We’re continuing to present Hilltop Tacoma Link project updates to community groups via online platforms Zoom and Microsoft Teams, and we’ve started meeting in-person again. If you’d like to learn more about the project and ask questions, please contact Liz Ellis at liz.ellis@soundtransit.org to schedule a meeting. Thank you!
 |
