Transport briefs: Train station breaks ground; STP bike event to affect roads this weekend

City, state and railroad officials celebrated the start of construction of the new Amtrak Cascades station in Tacoma’s Freighthouse Square with a construction kickoff ceremony Wednesday.

The 100,000-square-foot station will be a new structure that replaces an existing portion of the historic Freighthouse Square building. It is adjacent to Sound Transit’s Sounder station in the building and across the street from the Pierce Transit Tacoma Dome Station.

The station was designed to align with ongoing transit-oriented development within Tacoma’s Dome District, aimed at further developing the area as a vibrant transit hub that includes retail and residential spaces.

“This is an important milestone for Washington’s high speed rail program and the city of Tacoma,” said Ron Pate, director of WSDOT’s Rail, Freight, and Ports Division. “This station helps improve passenger train travel throughout the Amtrak Cascades corridor and we’re pleased to celebrate with community and state officials.”

The station was designed in consultation with an active citizen advisory committee and city officials. It features large glass windows for a bright, welcoming lobby, wooden columns, terrazzo flooring and sliding and vertical lift doors to create an indoor/outdoor public space. When it opens in fall 2017, the station will serve six daily roundtrip Amtrak Cascades trains and Amtrak’s Coast Starlight long-distance service.

Businesses within Freighthouse Square will remain open during construction.

The new station is part of the $149.9 million Point Defiance Bypass high-speed rail project, which will reroute passenger train traffic through DuPont, Lakewood and Tacoma, creating a faster and more reliable travel route. Point Defiance Bypass is one of 20 projects in the federally funded Cascades High-Speed Rail Program.

STP bike ride will impact roads this weekend

Drivers should allow extra travel time Saturday, July 16, and Sunday, July 17, as 10,000 cyclists ride western Washington’s state highways and local roads for the 2016 Group Health/Alaska Airlines Seattle to Portland (STP) fundraiser ride.

The Washington State Department of Transportation asks drivers to share the road and prepare for travel delays during the popular event. WSDOT also reminds bicyclists of their responsibility to follow Washington’s rules of the road.

The STP Washington route follows state highways and local roads in these areas:

State Route 181 – West Valley Highway in Kent.

Puyallup area county roads and city streets.

State Route 7 – near Spanaway

State Route 507 – Roy to Cen.tralia.

SR 507 and 3rd Street – Yelm.

SR 507 and Mossman Street — Yelm.

Centralia and Chehalis city streets.

County roads from Napavine to Winlock to Vader.

State Route 506 – Vader area.

Westside Highway – Vader to Castle Rock.

State Route 411 (West Side Highway) – Castle Rock to Longview.