Sounder M Street to Lakewood Project update

Railworks Track Systems and subcontractors continue to work in sections to remove existing track and spurs and rebuild the sections with new rail along the seven mile Sound Transit rail corridor between South M Street in Tacoma, Wash., to Bridgeport Way SW in Lakewood. For the next two weeks, track removal and replacement work is being performed between S. 48th and S. 56th streets. This work is being coordinated with Tacoma Rail to minimize or avoid any disruption to their customers for existing rail service. 

Work to rebuild street
crossings at S. Alaska and S. Chandler streets is anticipated to start the week
beginning September 21.

The M Street to Lakewood
Track and Signal project will upgrade seven miles of existing track and street
crossings in the Lakeview Subdivision rail corridor from South M Street in Tacoma
to Bridgeport Way SW in Lakewood. The project is part of the Sounder commuter
rail extension of service from Tacoma to Lakewood.

The track and signal
project will provide all new track and signal systems and street crossing
improvements at 11 at-grade railroad crossings. The improvements upgrade the
rail corridor in this section to meet current passenger rail safety standards.
Layover tracks for train storage will be added in the rail right-of-way
adjacent to the tracks and north of Lakewood Station.

In 2008, Sound Transit
worked cooperatively with WSDOT Rail and the Point Defiance Bypass project to
design the shared section of track between South 66th Street and Bridgeport Way
SW to accommodate future double tracks for Amtrak passenger rail service. To
minimize disruption to local traffic and the community, at-grades street
crossings will be constructed for two tracks as part of Sound Transit’s
project, with the second set of tracks to be added later as State funding
becomes available.