Traffic mitigation work on Sound Transit’s agenda
The tasks will be carried out around the MI East Link station.
Sound Transit crews will be hard at work as they begin work on the Mercer Island East Link Traffic Mitigation Project this month.
The agency announced Aug. 12 that the numerous works surrounding the Mercer Island station are part of its environmental impact study and record of decision for the East Link light rail project. The station, located in the middle of Interstate 90 near the Mercer Island Park-and-Ride and Mercer Island Town Center, is scheduled to open in 2025.
“The improvements will primarily consist of improved traffic signals, pavement and markings at the three intersections near the station,” a press release said. The statement added that workers will focus in particular on utility location, surveying, necessary demolition and installation of erosion control measures.
The three intersections where workers will be performing installation, improvement and other work primarily during the day and possibly at night are: 76th Avenue Southeast and North Mercer Way, 77th Avenue Southeast and North Mercer Way, and 80th Avenue Southeast and Southeast 27th Street.
The project is scheduled to begin in August and September with the installation of traffic control, patching of potholes, and more; September and October will see the installation of temporary pedestrian access, the removal of some existing sidewalks and curbs, and more; November and December will see the installation of new poles, the regrading of concrete, and the pouring of pavers; and January 2025 will see the landscaping and estimated completion of the project. The project will be updated on an ongoing basis, Sound Transit said.
“Island residents must expect temporary disruptions to traffic and pedestrians. Diversion plans will be drawn up and appropriate signage will be put up,” the city said.
Sound Transit said the city and the Washington State Department of Transportation reviewed and approved the traffic diversion plans.
In spring 2025, the Mercer Island Station is scheduled to open as one of the sections of the 14-mile East Link Extension Project, according to a reporter Article published in May 2023.
Due to problems that arose in 2022 with the cast-in-place concrete bases that support the tracks, East Link’s opening, originally scheduled for mid-2023, was postponed. The construction challenges also caused delays in the opening of the Lynnwood, Federal Way, and Downtown Redmond Link Extension routes. East Link’s total budget is $3.68 billion.
Platform-level clearance at MI Station is 380 linear feet between the 77th Avenue Southeast entrance and the 80th Avenue Southeast entrance. Users will descend 27-foot-long stairs to the platform, as reported during a tour on May 1, 2023.
On April 27 of this year, Sound Transit opened the East Link Starter Line – also called the 2 Line – an eight-station light rail line that runs from South Bellevue Station to Redmond Technology Station, as in an earlier reporter Article.
Further project information can be found at https://tinyurl.com/3ffsejx7
