86 replies to this topic

[CNJRoss]

3/23/18

 

 

Project update:

Mercer Island Station

 

Construction activities ramp up on Mercer Island

With the spring weather arriving, you'll begin to notice construction activities ramping up on the I-90 floating bridge and at the Mercer Island station. This winter, crews began seismically retrofitting portions of the floating bridge and Mercer Island tunnel, and began installing utility duct banks. Take a look at the progress made this winter. For more photos of East Link construction, check out the Sound Transit Flickr album.

 

An iron worker cuts rebar for installation of the concrete sound wall at the Mercer Island station.

 

Steel dowels will be added to these grooves and covered in epoxy to form a connection between existing and new concrete. This will strengthen the construction joints in the roadway which will be underneath the rail in the Mercer Island tunnel.

 

 

Wood forms and steel rebar are installed to prepare to pour the concrete elevator shaft at the Mercer Island station's west headhouse.

 

Sound walls on the station's north and south side begin to take shape.

 

Looking ahead

Beginning in April, station construction will become more visible as the headhouses continue their climb upward. Structural steel will be installed and will give the 77th Avenue headhouse its shape as crews begin work on the 80th Avenue headhouse. The adjacent plaza will also begin construction at this time. Crews will begin fencing the area, clearing and demolishing along the 77th Avenue sidewalk.

 

To keep pedestrians moving, a temporary sidewalk will be installed along the western edge of the construction area, connecting Sunset Highway and North Mercer Way. Work to build this path will begin in early April.

 

Map depicting future temporary path along 77th Avenue Southeast.

 

For more information

• soundtransit.org/eastlink

 

[CNJRoss]

Sound Transit news release:

 

Light rail guideway construction underway in BelRed

 

Mar 29, 2018

 

 

Girders being set near the future Bel-Red/130th station will support track transition from elevated to street level 

Sound Transit today briefed media on East Link light rail guideway construction that has begun in the BelRed area of Bellevue. 

 

Crews are setting girders that will support light rail tracks near the future Bel-Red/130th station, located between 130th and 132nd Avenues NE at NE Spring Boulevard. When complete, this segment of the alignment will transition from the elevated section of track beginning in downtown Bellevue and spanning I-405, to the street-level section beginning at the Bel-Red/130th station.

 

After the girders are set, contractor crews will begin work constructing a bridge deck for the future rail line from 124th Avenue NE to 130th Avenue NE. This bridge will connect the Spring District with the BelRed neighborhood at the station at 130th Avenue NE. 

 

The future Bel-Red/130th station will include a park-and-ride facility adjacent to the station to accommodate up to 300 vehicles for transit use as part of the City of Bellevue’s transit oriented development (TOD) project north of the station, as well as bicycle parking and lockers. When East Link opens in 2023, passengers will be able to travel from this station to the International District/Chinatown station in about 24 minutes. 

 

A time-lapse video of the girder-setting can be viewed at https://vimeo.com/262406264.

 

East Link will extend light rail 14 miles from downtown Seattle to downtown Bellevue and the Overlake area of Redmond via Interstate 90, with 10 stations. All segments of the East Link extension are currently under construction, and the entire line will be operational in 2023. The following year Sound Transit will open a 3.7-mile extension further east to new stations in Southeast Redmond and downtown Redmond under funding approved in November 2016.

 

The Northgate Link light rail extension that is currently under construction will reach Seattle’s University District, Roosevelt and Northgate areas in 2021. Additional Link extensions that are nearing construction will reach north to Lynnwood and south to Federal Way in 2024. Later extensions to form a 116-mile regional system will reach Everett, Tacoma, West Seattle, Ballard, South Kirkland and Issaquah. By 2040 Sound Transit projects Link trains will carry between 480,000 to 590,000 riders each weekday.

 

For more information on the Bel-Red/130th station see: 
https://www.soundtra...d-130th-Station.

 

 

 

[CNJRoss]

5/25/18:

 

 

Project update: East Link Extension

 

You've got rail! Rail delivery begins on Mercer Island

East Link construction has reached a milestone as rail has arrived on Mercer Island and is the first East Link project to do so. Approximately 15 miles of rail have been delivered to the work zone on Mercer Island. Approximately 28 miles (or 148,800 feet) of rail will be installed between the International District / Chinatown Station and the East Channel Bridge. Rail welding and grinding will begin in the coming weeks to prepare for installation. Check out some additional progress photos below.

 

Rail being delivered to the construction site east of the Mercer Island station.

 

Rail arrives near the Mercer Island tunnel. These rails will be ground, wielded together and installed.

 

Work progresses on the foundation and elevator shaft for the east head house at 80th Avenue Southeast.

 

City of Bellevue Fire Department practices rescue drills on the floating bridge.

 

 

Looking ahead

Structural steel has begun to arrive as the west head house will begin to take shape. In June and July, crews will post-tension the Homer M. Hadley Bridge, which will require overnight westbound closures. More information about these closures will be available in the coming weeks.

 

There will be no ramp or lane closures during the Memorial Day holiday, from 12 p.m. Friday, May 25, until 12 p.m. Tuesday, May 29. Planned closures will resume on Tuesday, May 29 at 12 p.m.

 

For more information

• soundtransit.org/eastlink

 

[CNJRoss]

Rail welding begins and station construction continues on Mercer Island

 

Sound Transit 6/29/18:

 

 

Project update: East Link Extension, Mercer Island

 

 

Rail welding begins and station construction continues on Mercer Island

Now that rail has arrived on Mercer Island, track welding has begun. The 80-foot-long sections of track, called 'sticks,' are welded together into 560- and 800-foot-long sections, known as 'strings'. Crews work in an assembly line to weld, grind and inspect the thousands of 'flash butt' welds. Once installed, crews will use thermite welding to seamlessly join the longer rail sections together. Check out the photos below to learn more about the welding process.

 

Rails are placed on rollers that stretch along the work zone (left). Once enough footage has been welded together, the finished rails are stockpiled for future installation (right).

 

Workers inspect the rail and align two sticks to be welded together (left). A computerized welding machine ensures welds are precisely aligned (right).

 

Afterward, the welds are ground to remove small amounts of excess material leftover from the welding process.

 

Welds are inspected as the rails are moved along on wood rollers.

 

 

77th Avenue head house begins to take shape

Crews have also begun installing structural steel for the 77th Avenue head house. These pre-fabricated steel beams provide the skeleton for the rest of the head house structure. The steel beams are lowered into place using a crane as crews use cross beams to stabilize and finally weld together. Decking will then be installed before concrete slabs are poured to form the various floors within the head house. Structural steel will soon be installed at the 80th Avenue head house.

 

Workers weld steel cross beams to form the head house's structure.

 

Workers lower cross beams into place.

 

 

Looking ahead

There will be no ramp or lane closures during the Independence Day holiday, from 12 p.m. Tuesday, July 3 until 12 p.m. Thursday, July 5. Planned closures of the East and Westbound HOV on- and off-ramps will resume on Thursday, July 5.

 

For more information

• soundtransit.org/eastlink

 

[CNJRoss]

Sound Transit news release:

 

East Link tunnel excavation nears completion in downtown Bellevue

 

Jun 28, 2018

 

 

Sound Transit’s East Link light rail tunnel is more than 90 percent complete, with crews expected to break through to the site of the future Bellevue Downtown Station in mid-July. The agency today released video of the tunnel and the final excavation work in progress to complete it. 

 

Crews are on track to complete the tunnel within 15 months – five months faster than forecast in the baseline construction schedule.

Tunnel construction is taking place using a time-tested process known as the Sequential Excavation Method (SEM). SEM employs conventional equipment including an excavator and cutting equipment to remove soil in small sections or bites. 

 

This method provides a number of advantages for the Bellevue project over a tunnel-boring machine or digging a large cut-and-cover trench. Benefits include minimizing disruption to traffic, reduced noise and dust impacts to neighboring residents and businesses, and reduction of utility service disruptions. It also employs sophisticated continuous monitoring, which enables crews to react in real time to changing ground conditions and increases the safety and efficiency of the work.

 

SEM work is a carefully choreographed process. Following removal of soil, crews spray a custom mix of pressurized concrete, called shotcrete, on the tunnel’s sides, ceiling and floor. They install arc-shaped lattice girders to provide additional structural support for the tunnel. Work advances a few feet at a time, with crews carefully excavating in sections to create the tunnel’s ovoid shape.

 

A time-lapse video showing excavation of a segment of the tunnel using the SEM method is available at https://vimeo.com/229918007.

Crews have been working on the tunnel since February 2017. Excavation started at the south portal site at 112th Ave. NE and Main, and when complete, will be approximately one-third of a mile long, running between the future East Main and Downtown Bellevue stations under 110th Ave. NE, turning east near NE 6th St. 

 

Tunnel facts:

• Tunnel is 1,985 linear feet long, or approximately one-third of a mile.
• Height of the tunnel is 27 feet, 10 inches.
• Overall width (north- and south-bound sides) is 34 feet.
  • Each side is 16 feet, 3 inches wide, with a center dividing wall, which is 18 inches thick.
• Tunnel is from 12 to 30 feet below the surface.
• Volume of soil removed: 72,000 cubic yards.
• Total number of lattice girders used: 479.
• Total volume of shotcrete applied: 9,000 cubic yards.
• Shotcrete contains 63 tons of polyethylene concrete fiber reinforcement.

 

In-kind contributions of $100 million by the city of Bellevue, including property and utility relocation, enabled the East Link project to include the tunnel. An MOU executed by the Sound Transit Board in April 2015 formalized this contribution.

 

“We are on the verge of a breakthrough in many senses of the word,” said Sound Transit Boardmember Claudia Balducci. “As the tunnel nears completion, we are moving ever closer to seeing light rail fully constructed, connecting the eastside to the rest of the region and giving our residents and visitors a fast, reliable, traffic-free way to get around.”

 

A video of the nearly complete tunnel is at https://vimeo.com/276911242. 

 

East Link will extend light rail 14 miles from downtown Seattle to downtown Bellevue and the Overlake area of Redmond via I-90, with 10 stations. By the end of 2017, all segments of the East Link extension will be under construction, and the entire line will be operational in 2023. The following year Sound Transit will open a 3.7-mile extension further east to new stations in Southeast Redmond and downtown Redmond under funding approved in November 2016.

 

The Northgate Link light rail extension that is currently under construction will reach Seattle’s University District, Roosevelt and Northgate areas in 2021. Additional Link extensions that are nearing construction will reach north to Lynnwood in 2023 and south to Federal Way in 2024. Later extensions to form a 116-mile regional system will reach Everett, Tacoma, West Seattle, Ballard, South Kirkland and Issaquah. By 2040 Link trains should carry approximately 600,000 riders each weekday.

 

For more information on the East Link Extension see: www.soundtransit.org/Eastlink

 

 

[CNJRoss]

Progressive Railroading, 7/2/18:

 

Sound Transit light-rail tunnel construction nearly finished

 

In mid-July, workers are expected to break through to the site of the future Bellevue Downtown Station.

Photo – Sound Transit / Glenn Landberg

 

 

Construction of Sound Transit's East Link light-rail tunnel in downtown Bellevue, Washington, is more than 90 percent completed, the agency announced late last week.

Crews are on track to finish the tunnel within 15 months, or about five months earlier than scheduled, Sound Transit officials said in a press release.

 

Continue here.

[KevinKorell]

Downtown Bellevue network, 7/3/18:

 

 

East Link Light Rail Tunnel in Bellevue Nears Completion

 

 

Sound Transit recently hit a big milestone on the East Link light rail tunnel development, as they announced it’s 90 percent complete. The tunnel is on track to be completed in mid-July.

 

More

[CNJRoss]

Sound Transit news release:

 

Sound Transit completes East Link Bellevue tunnel excavation

 

Jul 20, 2018

 

 

Sound Transit’s contractors today completed excavation of the tunnel that will connect the East Main and Downtown Bellevue stations when East Link begins operating in 2023. 

 

Using a process known as the sequential excavation method (SEM), crews completed the tunnel excavation in 15 months – five months faster than forecasted. The method employs conventional equipment including track-mounted excavators and cutting equipment to remove soil in small sections, and support excavated areas with spray-applied concrete.

 

"Today is a breakthrough in every sense of the word.  This tunnel is the culmination of over a decade of vision, hard work and tenacity by local and regional leaders, planners, workers and many, many members of the public who all insisted on a great transit connection through downtown Bellevue,” said Sound Transit Boardmember Claudia Balducci. “East Link, and this tunnel, will connect our communities, support our economy and provide a fast and reliable way to get out of traffic for people all over the region.”

 

Atkinson Construction used observational methods and numerical modeling to adapt its excavation to different ground conditions in different areas of the tunnel, enabling them to complete the work safely and efficiently. With excavation complete, Atkinson will begin constructing the tunnel’s final concrete lining, a process that is expected to take another year to complete.

 

When East Link light rail service begins, eastbound trains will enter the tunnel north of the East Main station at 112th Avenue Northeast and Main Street and travel approximately one-third of a mile, under 110th Avenue Northeast and turning east near Northeast Sixth Street to emerge at the future Downtown Bellevue Station.

 

East Link will extend light rail 14 miles from downtown Seattle to downtown Bellevue and the Overlake area of Redmond via I-90, with 10 stations. Following the 2023 opening of the project, in 2024 Link light rail will extend another 3.4 miles east to new stations in Southeast Redmond and downtown Redmond.

 

The Northgate Link light rail extension that is currently under construction will reach Seattle’s University District, Roosevelt and Northgate areas in 2021. Additional Link extensions that are nearing construction will reach north to Lynnwood and south to Federal Way in 2024. Later extensions to form a 116-mile regional system will reach Everett, Tacoma, West Seattle, Ballard, South Kirkland and Issaquah. By 2040 Link trains are forecasted to carry approximately 600,000 riders each weekday.

 

For more information on the East Link Extension see: www.soundtransit.org/Eastlink

 

 

[CNJRoss]

Sound Transit 8/15/18:

 

Project update

East Link Extension

 

I-90 floating bridge post-tensioning nearly complete

 

Sound Transit's contractor recently post-tensioned the I-90 floating bridge to prepare the bridge for East Link operation. Crews installed and stressed 1,080,000 feet of steel strand and applied 41,000 pounds of pressure, pulling the pontoons closer together and reinforcing the concrete. In the coming weeks, crews will continue to grout the ducts carrying the steel strands to protect them from corrosion and will begin removing equipment from the pontoons. Take a look at the photos below.

 

Steel reaction frames serve as the anchor points and absorb the force from the tensioned steel strands. Each of the 10 frames weighs approximately 17,500 lbs.

 

Ducts carry steel strands through each pontoon and connect to the steel anchor frames (left). A winch pulls the strands through the ducts, connecting the pontoons.

 

A close up view of steel strands waiting to be tensioned inside one of the pontoons (left). Once the strands are stressed, the ducts will be grouted to hold the strands in place (right).

 

For more information

• soundtransit.org/eastlink

 

[CNJRoss]

10/19/18

 

 

Project update: Mercer Island Station

 

Mercer Island Station head house construction continues

 

 

As the summer construction season draws to a close, significant progress has been made at the Mercer Island station. For the last few months, crews have erected structural steel for both the east and west head houses. Recently, the last pieces of structural steel were installed for the west head house at 77th Avenue Southeast as the existing path and landscape have been removed to prepare for plaza construction. Steel for the east head house at 80th Avenue Southeast is nearing completion as well. The photos below give you a glimpse of recent construction progress.

 

Steel installation has been completed at the west head house at 77th Avenue Southeast. Crews have begun painting the steel and will begin installing stairs, escalator, steel decking and glass walls in the coming months.

 

The area adjacent to the 77th Avenue Southeast entrance has been cleared to prepare for the new plaza and landscaping.

 

Structural steel installation at the 80th Avenue Southeast head house is nearing completion.

 

In this photo, you can see the supports and wooden form work for the stairs and escalator in the 77th Southeast head house.

 

 

Looking ahead

This falls, crews will continue work at the station and will begin preparing to install rail. In the coming months, crews plan to:

• Excavate and install the station platform.
• Install utilities, concrete and landscaping for the 77th Avenue Southeast entrance plaza.
• Complete installing steel for the 80th Avenue Southeast head house and pour the final sound walls.
• Receive ballast for track, weld additional track and begin installation this winter.

 

For more information

• soundtransit.org/eastlink