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After receiving the Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA) positive record of decision for the East Link light-rail project yesterday, Sound Transit’s board voted to launch work on the final design for the route between Seattle, Mercer Island, Bellevue and Redmond, Wash.

The FTA approval culminates more than five years of work to select the route, Sound Transit officials said in a prepared statement. The decision follows two other key developments on the project this month: the Nov. 15 signing of an agreement with the city of Bellevue for a partnership to build a tunnel in downtown Bellevue; and the Nov. 3 signing of a final agreement with the Washington State Department of Transportation for access to the Interstate-90 floating bridge, they said.

The agency plans to begin East Link construction in 2015 and launch rail service in 2023. The FTA’s decision concluded the project’s environmental review process and finalizes the alignment chosen by the Sound Transit’s board.

“East Link will improve people’s commutes on both sides of Lake Washington while stimulating our local economy and making us even more attractive for new employers,” said Claudia Balducci, a Sound Transit board and Bellevue City Council member.