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Construction workers wear orange shirts, hard hats and face coverings as they install light rail track in downtown Tacoma.
Media Caption
Utility work continues on Commerce Street as part of the Hilltop Tacoma Link Extension.

Fresh pics: Hilltop Tacoma is 75 percent complete

By Katie Metzger
Publish Date

This month, crews completed track work on most of Martin Luther King Jr. Way for the Hilltop Tacoma Link Extension, marking 75 percent completion of the project.

More than 22,000 linear feet of track has now been installed on the project, which is scheduled to open for service in 2023.

Light rail track is installed in front of the old City Hall, a large brick building, in Tacoma.
Track installation underway in front of Old City Hall.

If you enjoy these photos, follow us on Instagram and tune in on Fridays for our regular "Field Trip Friday" stories where we visit Sound Transit construction sites around the region. 

For more information about Hilltop Tacoma Link, sign up for project alerts and join the new Facebook Group for the latest construction news.

And of course, subscribe to The Platform to get the latest news and photos delivered to your inbox!

Powering progress

Tacoma Link became the region’s first light rail line when it opened in 2003.

This 2.4 mile extension to the Hilltop is a vital part of Sound Transit's progress as we work to nearly triple the reach of our region’s light rail network over the next few years. 

Rails can be seen coming out of concrete, with an orange construction barrier in the background.
Making tracks up to the Hilltop neighborhood of Tacoma.

The extension will bring new economic opportunity to Tacoma and provide needed mobility while helping downtown bounce back from the pandemic.

 We encourage shoppers to stay Loyal to the Local and support local businesses during construction.

A large bulldozer is parked in front of the McMenamins in Tacoma.
Placing rail in downtown Tacoma.
Two yellow school buses are parked by a stadium, with new light rail tracks on the street in the foreground.
Back to school (in person) with two sets of tracks in front of Stadium High School!

The project added more than 103,000 square feet to the Operations and Maintenance Facility (OMF) in Tacoma.

Work on the expanded rail yard at the OMF and connection to the existing line is scheduled to be complete in June.

A small building made of black steel pieces is located next to train tracks in Tacoma. This building will become the train wash at the new facility for light rail operations and maintenance.
This will be the train wash at the new Operations and Maintenance Facility for Tacoma Link.

Work continues on seven new stations and five electrical sub-stations that will supply the new line. Five new train cars, which will start arriving later this year, will be added to the existing fleet.

Two light rail tracks can be seen in the road on N 1st St in the Stadium District of Tacoma.
The project has completed construction of 322 power poles out of the 341 poles that will run the new line.

More stories on Hilltop Tacoma Link construction

Hopefully this isn't the first time you've run across our continuing coverage of this project.

Check out our past stories for more action shots and information.

Women power progress on Sound Transit job sites

Four-year light rail outlook: where are we now, and where are we going?

Fresh pics: Construction continues on Hilltop Tacoma Link

Or you can see all of our Hilltop Tacoma stories by clicking on the category listing below (or on the right if you're reading this on your desktop or tablet).

More light rail to the north, south and west

Projects currently under construction or under contract will open 28 new light rail stations over the next few years.

In fact, the Northgate Link Extension is set to open this fall!

You can check our system expansion page for details on the overall regional expansion plan.

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Hilltop Tacoma Link
Fresh pics