 T Line vehicle testing in the Stadium District
Construction and testing are occurring throughout the Hilltop Tacoma Link Extension project area including crews continuing the roadway restoration and station finishes, adjusting utilities, paint striping on the street, systems testing, installing crosswalks and cutting decorative sidewalks in various locations.
During the holidays, the contractor will focus outside the business districts. They’ll return in the new year to complete restoration in those areas. 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 is open to hospitals, medical centers and the emergency department 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.
When
- Dec. 30 update: Work will occur during the day and nighttime hours.
Where
Entire project area:
- Light rail train and track testing along the Hilltop Tacoma Link Extension project continues. As early as Jan. 9, 2023, the contractor will perform more system testing. The test will require three different T Line vehicles pulling away from three stations at the same time (Convention Center, Union Station and Stadium District). Traffic control will be in place where needed to perform this work. This work is scheduled to occur from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m.
- Various daytime and nighttime track and light rail vehicle testing, electrical testing, traffic signal modifications, decorative sidewalk cutting, channeling revisions, completing station finishes and overhead wiring work for the future light rail system will be occurring in various locations along the alignment during the week (Commerce Street, Stadium Way, N. 1st Street, Division Ave. and MLK Jr. Way).
These activities require work at night and on weekends. The contractor has obtained a nighttime/weekend noise variance. 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 at 8 a.m. on the weekends. The noise variance will be in place until the end of January.
- The contractor will be located at the Old City Hall Station, NE 4th Station, Stadium District Station and Tacoma General Station, installing handrails at the stations. This work could be done, at all stations, as early as Jan. 20. The work will have a noise impact of 77 decibels, a moderate noise level. This work will occur from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. on the weekends, with 8 a.m. starts for Saturday/Sunday. The stations at 6th Avenue, Hilltop District, and St. Joseph will be completed in January.
- Directional street closures will occur between MLK, N. 1st, Stadium and Division at certain station locations, for gutter and downspout installation. Parking will be removed in the area during these closures. The work will have a noise impact of 60 decibels, the level of a conversation in restaurant or office.
- There will be use of secondary roads to separate certain flows of traffic from the main traffic lanes at Division and Yakima Avenue intersection, Division and I Street, and N. 1st at Thriftway. This work will be completed at night. The work will have a noise impact of 73 decibels, similar to music being played in a living room.
- The overhead wires are now fully energized. Although we want the public to treat the wires like they are live since the installation, the wires are now officially live. Please be aware and coordinate any work that needs to happen near the trackway wires with our project team and operations moving forward.
- The T Line terminus will be at the Commerce Street Station. 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 to not impede T Line vehicle access.
- Due to the fall/winter weather, final road and parking lane striping in various areas will occur at a future date. Crews will schedule when the weather allows.
Dome District:
- E. 25th Street will be down to a single lane for utility work on Dec. 27-30.
Commerce/Stadium Way:
- Pacific Ave. at S. 7th Street will have a full southbound street closure as early as Jan. 3, 2023. This work will close the Pacific and 7th Ave. intersection for roadway restoration and slope stabilization. Vehicles headed southbound on Schuster Way to downtown will be diverted to S. 4th Street and Dock Street, to access downtown. Southbound vehicles will still have access to the 705 on-ramp during this closure. This work will support water line repair and patching the trench. There will also be equipment on the slope with trucks removing material and general clean up. Parking will be impacted near the construction area.
- The outbound Stadium Way Curve (northbound) will be closed the week of Dec. 27, for the N. 1st Street driveway replacement and punch list corrections. Parking may be impacted adjacent to the work area. This area is expected to be reopened before the New Year’s weekend. The driveway will be closed during this activity.
- See Entire Project area information for nighttime and weekend work.
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Future street closures:
- Stadium and 4th Street, 7th and Commerce Avenue outbound, and N. 1st St. and G Street, Division and I St. will all have closures for survey monument raising as early as Jan. 16 through Jan. 17.
- 7th and Commerce to I-705 inbound will be closed as early as Jan. 23, for “punch list” corrections.
Stadium District (N. E St., N. 1st St., Division Ave.):
- Broadway will have directional closures between Division and S. 4th St. The crews will be working on Broadway just north of the S. 4th St. intersection. Local access will remain on Broadway to maintain parking. A U-turn will be available during the southbound closure of Broadway S. This work is for road restoration and sidewalk repairs. Crews will continue this work until Dec. 30, then plan to return as early as Jan. 23 to finish.
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Future street closures:
- Westbound N. 1st St. will fully close from G St. to Division Ave. for vaulted sidewalk repair and concrete pours as early as Jan. 3, 2023. This work is estimated to take about 2 weeks.
- Tacoma Avenue and N. 1st St. will close for roadway restoration as early as Jan. 12. This work is dependent on “punch list” corrections on Division Ave. from MLK to Yakima Ave.
- Northbound I St., at the west side of 2nd Street, will fully close for roadway restoration as early as Jan. 23 and on the east side of 2nd St. as early as Feb. 6, 2023. This work is dependent on “punch list” corrections on Division Ave. from MLK to Yakima Ave.
- Tacoma Ave. and N. 1st St. will have a corner closure for the removal of a diesel storage tank with the date to be determined.
- The Yakima intersection at 2nd St. will fully close for roadway restoration in late February 2023.
- Eastbound/Westbound Division Ave. and I St. to Yakima with Eastbound N. 1st St. will close as early as Jan. 3, for decorative saw cutting at the crosswalks.
Hilltop/MLK Jr. Way:
- The city and Sound Transit walked the project area and have found a “punch list” of work that will require directional closures of MLK to make the repairs. The contractor has scheduled the work in sections from 6th Street to 9th Street, 9th St. to 12th Street and 15th Street to 19th Street, in each direction. Each section will take about four days to complete. Signage will be posted to show the areas of closures with dates. Work will include track slab repair, sidewalk repair and other types of concrete repair. The contractor will keep traffic open where space allows.
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Future street closures:
- Northbound MLK Jr. Way closure from Earnest Brazill St. to S. 11th Street starting as early as Jan. 3. Parking will be removed to remove and replace the pavement in this area. This work will take about 2 weeks to complete.
- 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 of work, to begin as early 2023.
- Decorative saw cutting will occur at the Baker Center crosswalk on MLK Jr. Way on Jan. 12. This will be a one-day closure.
- MLK Jr. Way and 13th St. is scheduled for track repair including demolition of some track, clean, up and potential replacement of rail in early 2023. This work will take 2 weeks to complete.
More
- Cross the street at only designated crosswalks. For wheelchairs, walkers, strollers and bicyclists’ cross tracks at a right angle. Obey all traffic signs and signals.
- Driveway and pedestrian access are maintained, although some sidewalks and crosswalks will be temporarily closed. Pedestrian detours will be in place.
- Crews will be installing lighting along MLK and Division. Please look out for 'No Parking' signs, to allow crews to easily access their work areas.
- Buses will follow detour routes. Visit PierceTransit.org for information.
- Construction noise will be related to removing pavement and operating equipment.
- Large construction equipment or materials may be in the right-of-way.
- Work will occur during the daytime and nighttime hours. Saturday work can start as early as 7 a.m.
- Businesses are open during construction. Supports your local business — stay Loyal to the Local!
- Allow for extra time to reach your destination.
- Due to inclement weather or unforeseen issues, dates and times are subject to change.
Contact us
Community Engagement: htlink@soundtransit.org or 206-398-5300
After-hours construction hotline: 888-298-2395
Learn how to stay safe around our construction sites.
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