This just in from Sound Transit:
Great news! Pacific Avenue will reopen on March 19, two and a half months ahead of the time allotted to complete this phase of work. MidMountain crews have been working hard to complete the second of three construction phases. This included installing new utilities, excavating and regrading Pacific Avenue, installing new streets and sidewalks, building new walls, installing steel for the Pacific Avenue rail bridge and beginning work on the rail alignment from South C to M streets and the reconfiguration of South C Street.
...The goal is to complete construction this summer, engage in operations testing and open Sounder service to South Tacoma and Lakewood late this year.
 |
| Rendering of Pacific Avenue after D-M Sounder Completion later this year. |
Discussion:
This is great news for Pierce Transit Routes 1 and 53 as well as Intercity Transit Route 603, which have been on detour since construction began last year.
Once this project is completed there will be new opportunities for bus routing thanks to the new configuration of Pacific Avenue. In this area there will be a more direct connection between South Tacoma Way and Tacoma Dome Station via S. 26th St., now under construction. This should help support the development of Bus Rapid Transit on Pacific Avenue linking Downtown Tacoma, Tacoma Dome Station, the South End of Tacoma and Parkland. Also, this new configuration should make it possible to run direct routing along South Tacoma Way between the Tacoma Mall and the Tacoma Dome.