One-of-a-Kind Seattle Light-Rail Project Could See $20 Million Price Bump

Increased costs have been tied to inefficiencies in workflow and the need for more research.

Interstate 90 floating bridge over Lake Washington in Seattle (Photo by Joe Mabel)

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Designing and building the world’s only rail corridor over a floating bridge has been no easy task for the team behind the East Link light-rail project in Seattle. It could cost Sound Transit about $20 million more before the tracks are ready to be installed.

According to the Seattle Times:

Ron Lewis, project director for East Link, shared the blame between his own team and engineering giant Parsons Brinckerhoff (PB). The company could now earn $56 million instead of its earlier $36 million contract figure, which began at $28 million in 2012.

Lewis blamed inefficiencies in workflow and more necessary research for the cost increase. Lewis said there has been frequent turnover at PB throughout the project. Risks are high though, if proper research isn’t conducted. The biggest being that if a train derails, it would sink 200 feet into Lake Washington. According to the Times:

Sound Transit’s final I-90 design, to be approved by the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT), is expected to stretch another year, until late 2016.

Bill Vlcek, WSDOT deputy regional administrator, reassured the board that “we have not identified any fatal flaws that would prevent light rail from being installed on this corridor.”

The Times notes that fire rescue could also be more difficult once the rail is up and running:

More research will consider how to improve Mount Baker tunnels for fire safety. This applies not only for trains, but car traffic, because road shoulders will be replaced by added bus-carpool lanes. Rescues will be more difficult. WSDOT is starting to replace lights, ventilation and fire equipment.

“In the long run, the dollars we spend are going to get us better construction, better value,” John Sleavin, deputy East Link director, told the Times

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Jenn Stanley is a freelance journalist, essayist and independent producer living in Chicago. She has an M.S. from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.

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Tags: transportation spendingseattlelight railbridges

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