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FTA 01-06
Contact: Name: Paul Griffo, Tel.: 202-366-4064
Wednesday, January 18, 2006
U.S. Transportation Secretary Mineta Announces Tunnel Boring
Machine Start
for Digging of Sound Transit’s Beacon Hill Twin Tunnels
Construction of a new light rail tunnel under parts of Seattle began today,
thanks in part to $244.15 million in New Starts transit funding provided by the
U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration (FTA), U.S.
Transportation Secretary Mineta announced today. The tunnel boring work is part
of Sound Transit’s Central Link Light Rail $2.44 billion transit project.
“This is a great day for everyone stuck in Seattle traffic,” said Secretary
Mineta, noting the project, when finished, will bring relief to transit riders
and motorists alike.
The Beacon Hill station will be excavated to a depth of 180 ft. and the actual
tunnels will be excavated using a state-of-the-art tunnel boring machine to bore
twin tunnels about one-mile long. FTA Project Management Consultants and Sound
Transit are closely following the contractor’s progress, safety plans and
quality assurance procedures due to the sophisticated nature of the work.
Considered a vital cornerstone of Seattle’s transportation future, the project
is part of a regional transportation program that includes light and commuter
rail and express bus service for three counties. The 14-mile Central Link Light
Rail system will serve 12 stations from downtown Seattle to South 154th Street
in Tukwila and is on schedule for July 2009 start of revenue service.
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