2019 Year in Review: powering progress around the region

By Katie Metzger

December 27, 2019

2019 has been a big year for light rail construction, as the future of transit in our region is starting to come into focus.

The Northgate Link Extension will open in 2021, followed by the Hilltop Tacoma Link Extension a year later and East Link in 2023. We'll stretch to Lynnwood, Federal Way and downtown Redmond in 2024.

Take a look at a map of all of our system expansions projects here.

In the meantime, there is always a lot of cool work to check out at our construction sites.

Thanks to our photographer, Glenn Landberg, for his work documenting these projects almost from start to finish, and kudos to the hard-working men and women who put in more than 2 million labor hours in 2019 building new rail lines connecting our region.

Three men in yellow vests walk toward the construction site at Roosevelt Station. — Checking out Roosevelt Station in January. The station is now more than 95 percent complete.

Sparks fly as a worker welds metal framing at Roosevelt Station. — More construction at Roosevelt (and just a cool picture).

Two volunteers plant a small tree. — Planting trees at Paramount Open Space in Shoreline in April. Environmental work is an important part of the construction process.

A worker in a hard hat and mask welds together pieces of rail for the Hilltop project in Tacoma. — Rail cutting and welding for Tacoma Link. Soon, the service will stretch up to the Hilltop and Stadium neighborhoods.

A partially constructed bridge juts out over the freeway in Bellevue. — One of the highlights of this year was completing this light rail bridge over I-90. The East Link project is two-thirds complete.

Workers use equipment to lift large sculptures that look like colorful bent nails. — Installing art is also part of the process. These "Nails" went in at the new Operations and Maintenance Facility East over the summer.

A view of the nearly complete Mercer Island Station's north headhouse. — All 10 East Link stations are taking shape, including this one on Mercer Island.

Two workers in lifts examine a structure at Northgate Station. — Doing work on a gorgeous day at Northgate Station.

Celebrating the official start of construction for the Lynnwood Link Extension. This groundbreaking ceremony was followed by one in downtown Redmond. Both projects will open in 2024.

A view of I-5 north with the Northgate Station under construction on the right side. — Can't wait to fly by traffic when Northgate opens in September 2021...

A view from underneath the new light rail bridge in downtown Bellevue. — And over downtown Bellevue when East Link opens in 2023.

Two men in orange vests kneel in a grass field, looking at fieldwork equipment. — Conducting fieldwork for the Federal Way Link Extension, which opens in 2024.

Underneath a large white tarp, a woman uses a big brush to paint at Spring District Station. — Painting at Spring District Station.

Three men in hard hats work on the bike cage at Roosevelt Station. — Working on the bike cage at Roosevelt Station.

A group of people in orange vests walk down the stairs and around the platform at Roosevelt Station. — A sneak peek at the substantially complete Roosevelt Station.

We're headed into a difficult construction period, as 10 weeks of work in the downtown tunnel will reduce light rail service. But it's all in the name of connecting our region.

Learn more about the project, which we're calling Connect 2020, here.

We hope this look back conjures good memories this year and builds excitement about where we're headed in the future.

Follow Sound Transit on Instagram for more pictures and be the first to see new moments in the year ahead.

And in case you missed it yesterday, check out our favorite photos from 2019 of our Sounder commuter rail, Link light rail and ST Express bus service.

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