Downtown Redmond Link Extension

About 

Stacy Witbeck was the managing joint venture partner responsible for this 3.4-mile extension of Sound Transit’s Eastlink Extension, serving Redmond, Washington. The turnkey project included designing the infrastructure, track, and systems through all installations and testing. These included a Safety Certification to provide Sound Transit a ready for public use alignment. MRS also helped provide complete systems integrations. 

Need 

Part of Sound Transit’s initiative to massively expand public transit throughout the region in an equitable manner, the project entailed huge coordination efforts to accomplish the large-scale infrastructure creation.  

Work 

• At-grade and aerial trackwork. 
• Cut-and-cover segments. 
• Two stations. 
• 1600-stall parking garage.  
• Pedestrian bridge connecting two regional trails. 
• Wetland restoration in the area.  
• Three arterial roadway bridges. 
• Two new highway ramps. 
• Three guideway bridge structures.

Bear Creek Bridge 

The project included construction of elevated light rail guideway and a 232 ft. long pedestrian bridge over Bear Creek, connecting two existing trails. Work involved robust floodplain and riparian restoration over one of the most productive salmon streams in the Northwest. This required close coordination with stakeholders to mitigate the impact of construction, which included removing a derelict, creosote-treated wood railroad bridge, installing large wood along the stream to improve the habitat, creating refuge for fish, enhancing over 2 acres of riparian wetlands, controlling invasive vegetation, planting additional trees, and restoring the stream and floodplain to a more natural condition adjacent to the light rail bridge. In water work was done in a single environmental work window, greatly minimizing the impact of construction. 

Challenges 

The location of the project in a dense urban environment and near sensitive environmental areas created significant challenges that the team was able to successfully navigate. Much of the construction was in a narrow right of way with live traffic, adjacent to and across sensitive wetlands and creeks, along a large municipal park, and through the downtown area. The entire project team was also able to overcome unforeseen hurdles while retaining the project schedule, including the COVID pandemic, wildfires, and a regional concrete strike.