Light rail across Lake Washington to open in late March

Sound Transit’s new 2 Line Crosslake Connection will link Seattle to the east side via I‑90, with new stations at Judkins Park and Mercer Island.

“Opening this critical segment of the 2 Line will dramatically improve quality of life for thousands of daily riders, connecting Eastside communities with the regional ‘spine’ of 1 Line service from Lynnwood to Federal Way,” Sound Transit said in a post on its website. “Crosslake service will complete the ST2 transit expansion that voters approved in 2008 and expand the regionwide light rail network to more than 63 miles of fast, frequent, and affordable Link service.”

Sound Transit said the Crosslake Connection will also allow the agency to double current frequency, with trains arriving every four minutes during peak hours “at 14 stations in the busiest part of the system, from downtown Seattle to Lynnwood.”

“We have a breathtaking new normal that has never been done anywhere else in the world,” King County Executive Girmay Zahilay. “But, never been done before is part of who we are here in the Puget Sound region.”

Trains have been conducting test runs for months to prepare to connect the 2 Line with the 1 Line at International District/Chinatown Station.

“Once the Crosslake Connection opens this spring, the full Link 2 Line will stretch more than 35 miles from downtown Redmond to Lynnwood and connect with the 1 Line in downtown Seattle,” Sound Transit said. “We know how excited transit users across the region are for this once‑in‑a‑generation milestone, and we can’t wait to welcome you aboard on March 28.”

“It’s truly remarkable,” Snohomish County Executive and Sound Transit Chairman Dave Somers. “In fact, it’s the only light rail that we know of going over a floating bridge in the world.”

Contributing: James Lynch, KIRO Newsradio

Frank Lenzi is the News Director for KIRO Newsradio. Read more of his stories here.