Sound Transit has announced that the East Link light rail guideway construction has begun in the BelRed area of Bellevue. The East Link will extend for 22.5 km 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.
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 the East Link opens in 2023, passengers will be able to travel from this station to the International District/Chinatown station in about 24 minutes.
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