Sound Transit begins construction on Edmonds Station upgrades

Sound Transit celebrated breaking ground on the first phase of construction of a new Sounder commuter train station in Edmonds, Wash. The transit hub, scheduled to open next spring, will replace a temporary structure south of the Amtrak station with a new east platform, passenger shelter, re-paved parking area, upgraded lighting and secured storage for bicycles.

Public art by renowned
Northwest artist Gerard Tsutakawa will also be incorporated in the station.

Conceived to improve
service connections between train, bus and ferry riders, the $12.9-million
project includes a transit center with three bus bays and two passenger
shelters at the north end of the station. Sound Transit will also install a
storm drainage system to address frequent flooding at the site. Tsutakawa’s
15-foot bronze sculpture, "Standing Wave," will be relocated to the
station from its temporary placement in the SR 104 Mini-Park, and the artist’s
wave design will be echoed in the platform railing.

"Sound Transit is
pleased to begin construction of an expanded station in Edmonds," said
Sound Transit Board Chair and Snohomish County Executive Aaron Reardon.
"Commuters and residents have waited patiently for this project to come to
fruition; soon, they will have access to a contemporary, multi-use transit
center that will serve their diverse transportation needs."

"Once complete, our
new station at Edmonds will serve as a major transit hub for thousands of
people who ride the Sounder train, Community Transit buses, and Washington
State ferries each day," said Edmonds Mayor Mike Cooper. "The new
station will be more functional, pedestrian-friendly, and reflect the unique
character of our community."

During the first phase of
construction the station’s south parking lot will be closed, with temporary
parking provided on the north side of the Amtrak Depot and on Admiral Way just
south of the station. Future plans for the transit center include a new
passenger platform that will lie west of a second set of tracks planned by BNSF,
and a second east platform north of the Amtrak station.

The agency has hired the
Seattle-based engineering firm KPFF for preliminary and final design services,
and local contractor Pellco Construction, Inc. to build the station.