East Link
Encyclopedia
East Link is a planned eastern extension of the Sound Transit
Link Light Rail
system, spanning about 22 miles from Downtown Seattle
to the city of Redmond
. Funding for construction of the portion of East Link between Downtown Seattle and Overlake Transit Center was approved by voters in November 2008, while the final segment between Overlake Transit Center and Downtown Redmond was identified as a priority extension in a future expansion measure. As of mid-2009, construction of East Link was projected to begin in 2013 or 2014, with the line opening for service as far as Bellevue in 2020 and extending to Overlake in 2021.
board decided on a preferred route for East Link. From the International District/Chinatown Station, trains will travel on existing ramps to the Interstate 90 express lanes from the Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel, possibly in mixed traffic with buses. Currently, the I-90 express lanes carry vehicle traffic (both single-occupant vehicles and High-occupancy vehicles (HOV)
), but will be modified to serve only trains, and an all-day HOV lane will be added to each direction of the I-90 bridge. The trains will use the center roadway from Seattle through the Mount Baker Tunnel
, across Lake Washington
and Mercer Island to South Bellevue. Trains will turn and head north from I-90
along Bellevue Way and 112th, before cutting across to Main and I-405
. In Downtown Bellevue, tracks will either be in a couplet in the street on 108th and 110th, or underground underneath 108th. The tunnel will only be built if the city of Bellevue provides the $500 million difference needed to construct the tunnel. From there, trains will head east at NE 12th street past Overlake Hospital through the Bel-Red industrial area along NE 16th street. In the Overlake neighborhood, trains will connect with State Route 520 and head north towards Downtown Redmond
and Redmond Town Center
.
, expansion and contraction of the bridge itself, weight of the rail infrastructure (rails, catenary
, etc.), weight of the light rail vehicles, and the expansion joint
on either end of the bridge.
Sound Transit
Sound Transit has been the popular name of Washington state's Central Puget Sound Regional Transit Authority since September 19, 1999. It was formed in 1996 by the Snohomish, King, and Pierce County Councils...
Link Light Rail
Link Light Rail
Sound Transit Link Light Rail is a rapid transit project in the Greater Seattle region, originally approved by a ballot measure in November 1996. Two lines are currently operating as of 2009: Tacoma Link, which uses 3 vehicles built by Škoda, and Central Link, which uses 35 vehicles built by Kinki...
system, spanning about 22 miles from Downtown Seattle
Downtown Seattle
Downtown is the central business district of Seattle, Washington. It is fairly compact compared to other city centers on the West Coast because of its geographical situation: hemmed in on the north and east by hills, on the west by the Elliott Bay, and on the south by reclaimed land that was once...
to the city of Redmond
Redmond, Washington
Redmond is a city in King County, Washington, United States, located east of Seattle. The population was 54,144 at the 2010 census,up from 45,256 in 2000....
. Funding for construction of the portion of East Link between Downtown Seattle and Overlake Transit Center was approved by voters in November 2008, while the final segment between Overlake Transit Center and Downtown Redmond was identified as a priority extension in a future expansion measure. As of mid-2009, construction of East Link was projected to begin in 2013 or 2014, with the line opening for service as far as Bellevue in 2020 and extending to Overlake in 2021.
Routing
On May 14, 2009, the Sound TransitSound Transit
Sound Transit has been the popular name of Washington state's Central Puget Sound Regional Transit Authority since September 19, 1999. It was formed in 1996 by the Snohomish, King, and Pierce County Councils...
board decided on a preferred route for East Link. From the International District/Chinatown Station, trains will travel on existing ramps to the Interstate 90 express lanes from the Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel, possibly in mixed traffic with buses. Currently, the I-90 express lanes carry vehicle traffic (both single-occupant vehicles and High-occupancy vehicles (HOV)
High-occupancy vehicle lane
In transportation engineering and transportation planning, a high-occupancy vehicle lane is a lane reserved for vehicles with a driver and one or more passengers...
), but will be modified to serve only trains, and an all-day HOV lane will be added to each direction of the I-90 bridge. The trains will use the center roadway from Seattle through the Mount Baker Tunnel
Mount Baker Tunnel
The Mount Baker Tunnel or Mount Baker Ridge Tunnel carries Interstate 90 under the Mount Baker neighborhood of Seattle, Washington. It is actually a group of four tunnels that carry eight lanes of freeway traffic, plus a separate tunnel for bicycles and pedestrians. The two originals are twin...
, across Lake Washington
Lake Washington
Lake Washington is a large freshwater lake adjacent to the city of Seattle. It is the largest lake in King County and the second largest in the state of Washington, after Lake Chelan. It is bordered by the cities of Seattle on the west, Bellevue and Kirkland on the east, Renton on the south and...
and Mercer Island to South Bellevue. Trains will turn and head north from I-90
Interstate 90 in Washington
Interstate 90 , a transcontinental Interstate Highway from Seattle, Washington, to Boston, Massachusetts, crosses the state of Washington before crossing the Idaho state line between Spokane and Post Falls...
along Bellevue Way and 112th, before cutting across to Main and I-405
Interstate 405 (Washington)
Interstate 405 in Washington is a stretch of freeway that bypasses Seattle east of Lake Washington. The northern terminus is in Lynnwood and the southern terminus is in Tukwila...
. In Downtown Bellevue, tracks will either be in a couplet in the street on 108th and 110th, or underground underneath 108th. The tunnel will only be built if the city of Bellevue provides the $500 million difference needed to construct the tunnel. From there, trains will head east at NE 12th street past Overlake Hospital through the Bel-Red industrial area along NE 16th street. In the Overlake neighborhood, trains will connect with State Route 520 and head north towards Downtown Redmond
Redmond, Washington
Redmond is a city in King County, Washington, United States, located east of Seattle. The population was 54,144 at the 2010 census,up from 45,256 in 2000....
and Redmond Town Center
Redmond Town Center
Redmond Town Center is a mixed-use development located in downtown Redmond, Washington. Owned by Macerich, Redmond Town Center has more than 110 shops, restaurants, lodging, and entertainment venues in an outdoor environment...
.
Technical challenges
When the light rail line is completed, it will be the first time that a light rail line has operated on a floating bridge. Challenges faced by Sound Transit include stray currentCathodic protection
Cathodic protection is a technique used to control the corrosion of a metal surface by making it the cathode of an electrochemical cell. The simplest method to apply CP is by connecting the metal to be protected with another more easily corroded "sacrificial metal" to act as the anode of the...
, expansion and contraction of the bridge itself, weight of the rail infrastructure (rails, catenary
Overhead lines
Overhead lines or overhead wires are used to transmit electrical energy to trams, trolleybuses or trains at a distance from the energy supply point...
, etc.), weight of the light rail vehicles, and the expansion joint
Expansion joint
An expansion joint or movement joint is an assembly designed to safely absorb the heat-induced expansion and contraction of various construction materials, to absorb vibration, to hold certain parts together, or to allow movement due to ground settlement or earthquakes...
on either end of the bridge.
Stations
| Name | City/Neighborhood | Location | Other | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| From North Link North Link North Link is a northern extension of the Central Link light rail line that will connect the University District to Northgate in Seattle. The 4.3-mile light rail extension includes stations in the University District , Roosevelt neighborhood and Northgate. North Link is scheduled to open for... via University Link University Link University Link is a future light rail extension of Sound Transit's Link light rail system in Seattle, Washington, USA. The line will connect downtown Seattle with the University of Washington via Capitol Hill. The line was approved by the Federal Transit Administration in November 2006... and the Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel | |||||
| East Link (Downtown Seattle - Bellevue - Redmond) | |||||
| International District/Chinatown | International District | Under S. Jackson St. and 5th Ave. S. | Connections to Central Link, Sounder Commuter Rail Sounder Commuter Rail Sounder commuter rail is a regional rail service operated by BNSF on behalf of Sound Transit. Service operates Monday through Friday during peak hours from Seattle, Washington, north to Everett and south to Tacoma. As of 2011, schedules serve the traditional peak commutes, with most trains running... and First Hill Streetcar First Hill Streetcar The Seattle Streetcar—First Hill Line, commonly called the First Hill Streetcar, is a proposed streetcar line connecting the Capitol Hill, First Hill, and the International District neighborhoods in central Seattle... | ||
| Rainier | Central District | In the median of Interstate 90 at Rainier Ave. S. | |||
| Mercer Island | Mercer Island Mercer Island, Washington Mercer Island is a city in King County, Washington, United States and the name of the island in Lake Washington on which the city sits. The population was 22,699 at the 2010 census.... | In the median of Interstate 90 at 77th Ave. S.E. | Park & ride improvements | ||
| South Bellevue | Bellevue Bellevue, Washington Bellevue is a city in the Eastside region of King County, Washington, United States, across Lake Washington from Seattle. Long known as a suburb or satellite city of Seattle, it is now categorized as an edge city or a boomburb. The population was 122,363 at the 2010 census.Downtown Bellevue is... | Above Bellevue Way S.E. at 112th Ave. S.E. | Park & ride, bus transfer improvements | ||
| SE 8th | Bellevue Bellevue, Washington Bellevue is a city in the Eastside region of King County, Washington, United States, across Lake Washington from Seattle. Long known as a suburb or satellite city of Seattle, it is now categorized as an edge city or a boomburb. The population was 122,363 at the 2010 census.Downtown Bellevue is... | At S.E. 8th St. and S.E. 112th Ave. | |||
| Bellevue Transit Center | Bellevue Bellevue, Washington Bellevue is a city in the Eastside region of King County, Washington, United States, across Lake Washington from Seattle. Long known as a suburb or satellite city of Seattle, it is now categorized as an edge city or a boomburb. The population was 122,363 at the 2010 census.Downtown Bellevue is... | On 108th Ave. N.E. and 110th Ave. N.E. at N.E. 6th St. if at-grade, under 108th Ave. N.E. at N.E. 6th St. if tunnel | Serves Bellevue Transit Center | ||
| Hospital | Bellevue Bellevue, Washington Bellevue is a city in the Eastside region of King County, Washington, United States, across Lake Washington from Seattle. Long known as a suburb or satellite city of Seattle, it is now categorized as an edge city or a boomburb. The population was 122,363 at the 2010 census.Downtown Bellevue is... | Above N.E. 8th St. along BNSF BNSF Railway The BNSF Railway is a wholly owned subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., and is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas. It is one of seven North American Class I railroads and the second largest freight railroad network in North America, second only to the Union Pacific Railroad, its primary... Woodinville Subdivision Woodinville Subdivision The Woodinville Subdivision is a railroad line that was formerly owned by BNSF Railway and takes its names from one of its original end points in Woodinville, Washington, United States. The line extends approximately in east King County and Snohomish County. The line's ownership has been... corridor | |||
| 120th Avenue | Bellevue Bellevue, Washington Bellevue is a city in the Eastside region of King County, Washington, United States, across Lake Washington from Seattle. Long known as a suburb or satellite city of Seattle, it is now categorized as an edge city or a boomburb. The population was 122,363 at the 2010 census.Downtown Bellevue is... | On N.E. 16th St. at 120th Ave. N.E. | |||
| 130th Avenue | Bellevue Bellevue, Washington Bellevue is a city in the Eastside region of King County, Washington, United States, across Lake Washington from Seattle. Long known as a suburb or satellite city of Seattle, it is now categorized as an edge city or a boomburb. The population was 122,363 at the 2010 census.Downtown Bellevue is... | On N.E. 16th St. at 130th Ave. N.E. | |||
| Overlake Village | Bellevue Bellevue, Washington Bellevue is a city in the Eastside region of King County, Washington, United States, across Lake Washington from Seattle. Long known as a suburb or satellite city of Seattle, it is now categorized as an edge city or a boomburb. The population was 122,363 at the 2010 census.Downtown Bellevue is... , Redmond Redmond, Washington Redmond is a city in King County, Washington, United States, located east of Seattle. The population was 54,144 at the 2010 census,up from 45,256 in 2000.... | Next to State Route 520 at N.E. 152nd Ave. | |||
| Overlake Transit Center | Redmond Redmond, Washington Redmond is a city in King County, Washington, United States, located east of Seattle. The population was 54,144 at the 2010 census,up from 45,256 in 2000.... | Next to State Route 520 at N.E. 40th St. | Serves Redmond Technology Park (Microsoft, Nintendo, etc.) | ||
| End of light rail extension funded by Sound Transit 2 | |||||
| S.E. Redmond | Redmond Redmond, Washington Redmond is a city in King County, Washington, United States, located east of Seattle. The population was 54,144 at the 2010 census,up from 45,256 in 2000.... | Next to SR 520/Avondale Road at N.E. 70th St | Park & ride improvements, near Marymoor Park Marymoor Park Marymoor Park, located on the north end of Lake Sammamish in Redmond, Washington, is King County's largest, oldest, and most popular park, with more than 3 million annual visitors coming to roam its . Among recreational activities available are various sports facilities, rock climbing, a dog park... | ||
| Redmond Town Center | Redmond Redmond, Washington Redmond is a city in King County, Washington, United States, located east of Seattle. The population was 54,144 at the 2010 census,up from 45,256 in 2000.... | Possibly on BNSF Right of Way at Leary Way (Undecided) | Serves Redmond Town Center Redmond Town Center Redmond Town Center is a mixed-use development located in downtown Redmond, Washington. Owned by Macerich, Redmond Town Center has more than 110 shops, restaurants, lodging, and entertainment venues in an outdoor environment... | ||
| End of line | |||||