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Construction and testing are happening throughout the Hilltop Tacoma Link Extension project area. This includes crews continuing roadway restoration and station finishes, adjusting utilities, striping paint on the street, testing systems, installing crosswalks, and cutting decorative sidewalks in various locations. The contractor is also working on final checklist items, which come up at the end of a project to complete or correct any issues along the project area.
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.
Access to hospitals, medical centers and the emergency department will remain open 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. More details specific to neighborhoods are provided below.
When
- Jan. 20 update: Work will occur throughout both the day and nighttime hours.
Where
Entire project area:
- Light rail train and track testing along the Hilltop Tacoma Link Extension project continues. In January and February, the contractor will continue to perform various system and vehicle testing. One of the tests will require three different T Line vehicles pulling away from three stations at the same time (Convention Center, Union Station, and Stadium District). This test specifically ensures that the system can handle operations with the new extension. Traffic control will be in place where necessary to ease travel strain during this work. This construction is scheduled to occur between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. as early as Jan. 24.
- Daytime and nighttime track and light rail vehicle testing, electrical testing, traffic signal modifications, decorative sidewalk cutting, channeling revisions, completing final touches in stations, and finishing overhead wiring work for the future light rail system will happen in various locations along the alignment during the week (Commerce Street, Stadium Way, N. 1st Street, Division Ave. and MLK Jr. Way).
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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 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 to finish installation of handrails at the stations. This work is expected to be completed, at all stations, as early as Jan. 20. The work will have a noise impact of 77 decibels, a moderate noise level like that of a garbage disposal. This work will occur from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. on the weekends, with 8 a.m. starts on Saturdays and Sundays. 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 need to be removed in the area during these closures. The work will have a noise impact of 60 decibels, which is about the level of a conversation in restaurant or office.
- There will use of secondary roads to separate certain flows of traffic from the main traffic lanes at the Division and Yakima intersection, Division and I Street, and N. 1st St. at Thriftway. This work will be completed at night and will have a noise impact of 73 decibels, similar to music being played in a living room.
- The overhead wires are now fully energized. Please be aware and coordinate with our project team and operations about any work that needs to happen near the trackway wires.
- 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 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.
Dome District:
- No civil work planned related to the project
Commerce/Stadium Way:
- Southbound N. 1st St./N. E St./Stadium Way (Stadium Curve) from Tacoma Avenue to Division Ave. has reopened. A specialized contractor will come back at a future date to inspect the grinded rail.
- Northbound Stadium Way from I-705 to S. 4th Street will be closed as early as Jan. 30 through Feb.1, to finish work on the overhead contact system poles (poles that energize the light rail system).
- See entire project area information for nighttime and weekend work.
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Future street closures:
- 7th and Commerce to I-705 inbound (southbound) will be closed in February for final corrections.
- 7th and Commerce to I-705 outbound (northbound) will be closed in February for final corrections.
Stadium District (N. E St., N. 1st St., Division Ave.):
- Broadway will have directional closures between Division and S 4th Street. The crews will be working on Broadway, just north of the S 4th Street intersection. Local access will remain on Broadway to maintain parking. A U-turn lane will be available during the southbound closure of Broadway S. This work is for road restoration and sidewalk repairs. Crews are scheduled to return as early as Jan. 23 to complete this work. It is scheduled to take about 2 weeks to complete.
- Tacoma Ave. and N. 1st St. is closed for roadway restoration. It is expected to reopen mid/late next week. Parking will be removed around the work zone.
- Yakima Avenue and Division Ave. Northeast is now open.
- Eastbound/Westbound Division Avenue from MLK Jr. Way to Yakima will have lane closures as early as Jan. 24 for final corrections. Two way traffic will be maintained. This work will take about 2 weeks.
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Future street closures:
- Northbound I St at the west side of 2nd St will fully close for roadway restoration in mid-March and on the east side of 2nd St in late February. This work is dependent on final corrections on Division Ave., from MLK to Yakima Ave.
- Westbound N. 1st St., from Broadway to Yakima, will close as early as Feb. 6 for final repairs.
- Eastbound N. 1st Street, from Yakima to Broadway, will close as early as Feb. 13 for final repairs.
- Tacoma Ave. and N. 1st St. will have a corner closure for the removal of a diesel storage tank with a date to be determined.
- The Yakima intersection at 2nd Street will fully close for roadway restoration in late March 2023.
Hilltop/MLK Jr. Way:
- The city and Sound Transit walked the project area and have found a final few issues that need repair, requiring directional closures of MLK. 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 4 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.
- MLK Jr. Way will have directional closures at S. 11th Street, for decorative saw cutting of the crosswalk on the Northern side of the intersection and final repair work at the Hilltop District Station, as early as Jan. 25.
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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 of work, to begin in early 2023.
- The intersection at 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 two weeks to complete.
More
- Cross the street at only designated crosswalks. Wheelchairs, walkers, strollers and bicycles should 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.
- Prepare for construction noise related to removing pavement and operating equipment.
- Large construction equipment or materials may have 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. Support your local businesses — 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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