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Sound Transit yesterday broke ground on a $120.5 million project to replace an aging single-track timber trestle with a concrete, double-track bridge in Tacoma, Wash.

Scheduled for completion in 2018, the replacement will occur along a 0.65-mile section of track between the Tacoma Dome Station and East M Street. The project includes demolition of the existing trestle, construction of new tracks and a crossover track, signal upgrades, roadway improvements, utility relocation and erosion control.

The trestle currently serves 10 roundtrip Sounder weekday commuter trains, as well as special game-day trains for sporting events.

"More than a century ago, this timber trestle helped establish Tacoma's regional significance in commerce and transportation," said Sound Transit Board Vice Chair and Tacoma Mayor Marilyn Strickland in a press release. "Replacing it with a modern, double-track bridge will improve efficiency and decrease delays as more trains and people move through this busy rail corridor."

The U.S. Department of Transportation awarded a $10 million Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant toward the project, while the Federal Transit Administration and Federal Railroad Administration provided an additional $17 million.

In 2008, voters approved the Tacoma trestle project as part of the Sound Transit 2 ballot initiative.