Sound Transit to open Crosslake Connection next month

Sound Transit last week announced plans to launch light-rail service on the Crosslake Connection segment of the East Link 2 Line on March 28, connecting the Seattle-area transit agency's two light-rail lines into one regional system.

The Crosslake Connection is the final component of the East Link 2 Line. Light-rail trains will operate between downtown Redmond and Lynnwood, Washington, crossing Lake Washington via a floating bridge and connecting to the 1 Line at an existing station in Seattle's Chinatown-International District, Sound Transit officials said in a press release.

The Crosslake Connection spans 7 miles and includes two stations at Mercer Island and Judkins Park. Service to Lynnwood via the 2 Line will run in addition to the 1 Line, which connects Lynnwood to Federal Way. Light-rail trains will run daily on both lines.

The connected East Link system has been over 20 years in the making and was plagued with delays. It was approved by voters in 2008 and is a milestone in light-rail system design, as the Crosslake Connection features the world's first light-rail service on a floating bridge, Sound Transit officials said.