Senator Patty Murray, Federal Transit Administrator Peter Rogoff and Seattle Sound Transit Board members have dedicated the first of the three tunnel boring machines that will dig twin tunnels from the University of Washington to downtown Seattle.

"The University Link project is already creating quality jobs here Seattle and it is going to be great for local commuters and the community when it opens in 2016" said Sen. Murray, who secured an $813 million federal grant to help build the $1.9 billion project.

"Projects like this one are essential to rebuilding the nation's infrastructure and keeping us moving into the 22nd Century," said Pete Rogoff, Federal Transit Administrator.

The first tunnel boring machines to begin digging will drive underground from the University of Washington to Capitol Hill. Another TBM will drive from Capitol Hill to downtown Seattle. University Link will extend the region's first modern light rail system by about three miles and serve an estimated 70,000 additional daily riders in one of the most densely populated and gridlocked areas on the West coast.

Each TBM weighs more than 1 million lbs. and stretches more than 300 feet long including the conveyor systems that remove the spoils excavated by the 21-foot diameter cutter head. Sophisticated satellite technology guides the machines.

The University Link project has already created more than 2,000 new jobs, with almost 700,000 work hours so far to excavate the station sites, build and assemble the tunnel boring machines and prepare the alignment for tunneling.

The economic activity generated within the state by University Link will be equivalent to approximately 19,100 direct and indirect jobs according to calculations using a State of Washington Office of Financial Management model.

When complete, it will take six minutes to get from Husky Stadium to downtown Seattle via Link.

The population of the corridor served by University Link is expected to increase by a projected 56 percent by 2030, further increasing congestion and the need for fast, reliable light rail service.