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Construction and testing are happening throughout the Hilltop Tacoma Link Extension project area, including crews continuing the roadway restoration and station finishes, adjusting utilities, striping paint on the street, testing systems, installing crosswalks, and cutting decorative sidewalks in various locations. The contract 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 construction and work schedule are 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. 6 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, the contractor will continue to perform various system and vehicle testing. One of the future 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.
- 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 Avenue 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 similar to 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 be revisions to the channelization, or the use of secondary roads to separate certain flows of traffic from the main traffic lanes, will happen at Division and Yakima intersection, Division and I Street, and N. 1st at Thriftway. This work will be completed at night and will have a noise impact of 73 decibels, a similar level to music being played in a living room.
- The overhead wires are now fully energized. Although we have wanted the public to treat the wires as if they are live since the installation, the wires are now officially live. 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 and 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 so as 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:
- E. 25th Street is now open.
Commerce/Stadium Way:
- Pacific Ave. at S. 7th St. closure started on Jan. 3, 2023. This work closed the Pacific and 7th Ave. intersection for roadway restoration and slope stabilization. Vehicles headed southbound on Schuster Way to downtown will be detoured to S. 4th Street and then Dock St to access downtown. Southbound vehicles will still have access to the 705 on-ramp during this closure. This work will support water line repair and patching the trench. There will also be equipment on the slope with trucks removing material and general clean up. Parking will be affected near the construction area. This work is expected to be completed as early as Jan. 13 (weather dependent).
- See entire project area information for nighttime and weekend work.
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Future street closures:
- Stadium and 4th Street, 7th and Commerce Avenue outbound, North 1st Street and G Street, Division and I Street will all have closures for survey monument raising as early as Jan. 16 through Jan. 17. This work will be completed at night.
- 7th and Commerce to I-705 inbound (southbound) will be closed as early as Jan. 23 for final corrections.
- 7th and Commerce to I-705 outbound (northbound) will be closed as early as Jan. 30 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 it.
- Westbound N 1st St is fully closed from G St to Division Avenue for vaulted sidewalk repair and concrete pours as early as Jan. 3, 2023. This work is estimated to take about 2 weeks.
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Future street closures:
- Tacoma Avenue and North 1st Street will close for roadway restoration as early as Jan. 13. This work is dependent on final corrections on Division Avenue from MLK to Yakima Avenue and is expected to take about 2 weeks.
- 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 Avenue from MLK to Yakima Avenue.
- Tacoma Ave and North 1st Street will have a corner closure for the removal of a diesel storage tank as early as Feb. 2.
- The Yakima intersection at 2nd Street will fully close for roadway restoration in late March 2023.
- Eastbound/Westbound Division and I Street to Yakima with Eastbound North 1st Street will close as early as Jan. 24 for final corrections.
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 Street 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.
- Northbound MLK Jr. Way closure from Earnest Brazill St. to South 11th Street started on Jan. 3. Parking will be removed to remove and replace the pavement in this area. This work will take about 2 weeks to complete.
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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 6 days of work, to begin in early 2023.
- Decorative saw-cutting will occur at the Baker Center crosswalk on MLK Jr. Way on Jan. 12. This will be a 1-day closure causing the crosswalk to close and a pedestrian detour at 3rd Avenue.
- 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 2 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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