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Sound Transit recently received two bids for the largest contract for the University Link light-rail extension: boring twin tunnels between the University of Washington and Capitol Hill. Both bids came in well under Sound Transit engineers' estimate.

A Traylor Frontier/Kemper joint venture submitted the lowest bid at $309.2 million. Another contractor, JCM U-Link Joint Venture, submitted a $360.8 million bid. Engineers had estimated the work at $395.3 million.

Sound Transit now will review the low bid to ensure it meets all project requirements. Work is scheduled to begin late this year and take about three years to complete. Early next year, Sound Transit expects to award a separate contract to drill two tunnels from Capitol Hill to the Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel.

Located entirely underground, the $1.9 billion, 3.15-mile University Link line will extend the Central Link line, which is scheduled to open between downtown Seattle and Sea-Tac International Airport later this year. University Link is set to open in 2016.