Light rail under I-5
News/Latest information
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Work Continues to Move Forward on University Link I-5 Undercrossing
11/5/09 - The weekend of Nov. 7 Sound Transit crews will remove a temporary wall comprised of interlocking metal sheets called sheet piles. The sheet pile wall which is about 60 ft long by 20 ft high will be vibrated out of place along the shoulder of southbound I-5 next to the Pike-Pine reversible HOV ramp. The Yale Avenue on-ramp to southbound I-5 and the right lane of southbound I-5 between Yale Avenue and Union Street will close from 8:00 a.m. until 11:00 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 7 to create a safe work zone during the sheet pile wall removal. The off-ramp from southbound I-5 to Union St will remain open. This work is anticipated to take one day to complete. More details >>>
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Olive Way & Pike/Pine Ramps To Close for Tunnel Preparation
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Construction is now underway on University Link (U-Link), a 3.15-mile light rail line extension that will connect downtown Seattle, Capitol Hill and the University of Washington.
In early 2011, the tunnel boring machine that will dig the light rail tunnels between Capitol Hill and downtown Seattle will start working south from Capitol Hill. Before the tunnel boring machine reaches the Pine Street area in late 2011, the ground under I-5 must be prepared for its arrival.
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| This work requires temporary closures of the Olive Way off-ramp from northbound I-5, the Cherry Street on-ramp to northbound I-5 and the Pike/Pine reversible HOV ramp to the I-5 express lanes. |
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Map of I-5 closures
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During the closures, drivers should plan ahead and expect the following:
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The Olive Way off-ramp from northbound I-5 will be closed for about one year starting as
early as May 18, 2009.
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The Cherry Street on-ramp to northbound I-5 and one lane of northbound I-5 will be closed
for about four weeks as early as May 26,2009. This ramp will also close for about four
weeks in Spring 2010.
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While the Cherry Street on-ramp is closed, the Cherry Street entrance to the I-5 express lanes from 5th Avenue will be open to all traffic (currently only open for HOV).
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The Pike/Pine reversible HOV ramp from the I-5 express lanes will be closed for about one
year starting in mid-June 2009. Buses will still be able to use the Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel.
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Sound Transit is working closely with the Washington State Department of Transportation, the City of Seattle and King County Metro to plan detours. During the year-long closure a signed detour route will be used. Drivers will exit to Madison Street and turn left on Boren Avenue to reach Olive Way. A major effort to educate drivers about the detour routes and construction status is underway.
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Pine Street Work Staging Area
The vacant lot adjacent to I-5 and Pine Street (next to the Paramount Theatre) will become a construction staging area. The site will house the cranes, trucks and other equipment necessary for the work. While the I-5 Olive Way off-ramp work is underway, the contractor will modify the sidewalks and alley so that trucks can enter from Pine Street and exit onto Pike to access the freeway. This site will also be where the tunnel boring machine is extracted when it reaches downtown Seattle in 2011 and again in 2012 during later construction work.
The artwork located on Pine Street (“Eat, Drink, and Be Merry”) has been temporarily relocated to Sound Transit’s Operation and Maintenance Facility and is on display at the intersection of Airport Way and S. Forest Street until the tunneling is complete. It will be returned to the Pine Street location at the end of the project.
More Information
The fastest and most reliable way to receive information about the University Link project is to  Subscribe to University Link project updates >>>
For questions about activities related to Sound Transit’s University Link light rail construction, please contact Community Outreach Specialist Erin Hunter, (206) 370-5511 or via email.
Sound Transit’s toll-free Construction Hotline is available 24-hours-a-day at 1-888-298-2395. If an urgent issue arises regarding Sound Transit construction, please call this number and someone will return your call promptly.
University Link
The U-Link extension will add 70,000 daily riders, including 40,000 daily riders by 2030 at the two U-Link stations alone. U-Link will offer fast, frequent, reliable and congestion-free service that is expected to save 4.5 million hours of travel time annually. More information about U-Link>>>
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Olive Way & Pike/Pine
Detour Directions & Map
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