Light-rail construction hits snag

Construction of Sound Transit's light-rail line came to a halt Monday near Southcenter mall when a cranelike piece of equipment malfunctioned, causing a part of a platform to slip.

The equipment, called a gantry, malfunctioned as it was hoisting a piece of metal platform onto the end of the existing light-rail structure.

The piece that slipped remains affixed to the existing structure, according to Sound Transit spokesman Geoff Patrick. There were no reported injuries, but an office building in the 15200 block of 52nd Avenue South in Tukwila was evacuated as a precaution.

Equipment managers were examining the gantry to determine what was wrong with it and how much it would cost to fix, Patrick said. He could not give a damage estimate Monday night but said the project would likely not be delayed more than two weeks.

The incident is not expected to impact the anticipated 2009 completion of the light-rail connection from downtown Seattle to Sea-Tac airport.