Airport light-rail station work on track

Sound Transit has fixed a scheduling problem and remains on track to open its airport light-rail station as promised by Dec. 29, 2009, according to the federal government.

Earlier, a federal oversight report in June estimated that completion "will be delayed until the second quarter of 2010."

When that report was written, Sound Transit lacked a detailed schedule to install station roofs, steel beams, escalators, tracks and other features. The report further questioned whether communications systems would be ready on time, throughout the 16 miles of track from downtown Seattle.

But according to Ron Lewis, airport-area project manager for Sound Transit, a full schedule has since been received and approved from Mowat, the prime contractor.

"These deficiencies, which are required to be pointed out by our [project management oversight] staff, have now been corrected by Sound Transit," said Federal Transit Administration spokesman Dave Longo, in an e-mail message today. "Having said that, there are never any guarantees that any project will be done on time; because unforeseen challenges could cause delays."

The station would be finished only two months before opening day, leaving little margin for error.

Next summer, trains are scheduled to reach the high-rise Tukwila Station, at the junction of highways 99 and 518. Shuttle buses will take riders from there 1-½ miles to the air terminal, until whenever the airport light-rail station opens.

Airport spokesman Perry Cooper said, "Sound Transit is telling us they are on schedule, and we have no reason to doubt them."

Meanwhile, at the job site, the overhead concrete track bed and vertical station supports are finished, and concrete is being poured for the floors, Lewis said.

From the airport station, transit riders will walk a quarter-mile from the mezzanine to the terminal, via the fourth floor of the parking structure and sky bridges.

The report was written for the government by New York-based STV. In its last few commentaries, STV cites a risk of delay due to slow progress building the line's Beacon Hill Tunnel. Overseers also suspect that last December's temporary closure of the downtown transit tunnel, caused by software glitches, indicates that light-rail startup may run into similar problems.

The report includes good news for taxpayers.

Despite cost overruns in spots, there is ample reserve money left after four years of construction. If trends continue, the Seattle-Tukwila portion would be finished for about $140 million less than its $2.44 billion budget. Any leftover money could be spent for operations or light-rail extensions.

Mike Lindblom: 206-515-5631 or mlindblom@seattletimes.com