With the final Environmental Impact Statement – and final routing/station-location decisions – for West Seattle light rail expected next year, Sound Transit continues with field work. We don’t always get advance notice, but ST has sent word of a new round that’s about to start on the north end of the West Duwamish Greenbelt:
Starting as early as Monday, August 14, Sound Transit plans to conduct up to three geotechnical borings on the W Duwamish Greenbelt, a City of Seattle greenspace located between the Pigeon Point neighborhood and the West Seattle Bridge (see map).
Sound Transit is in the planning phase for the West Seattle Link Extensions project. This work, along with other investigations throughout the project corridor, is necessary to plan and design potential light rail alignments being studied in the environmental review process.
To study soil and groundwater conditions, a drill rig is used to bore vertically into the ground while collecting soil samples. Following the collection of soil samples, a monitoring device is installed which will be used by crews to monitor water levels on future visits. Water level readings will be taken every few months as the design phase progresses. In accordance with all local regulations, the 4- to 12- inch diameter borings will be installed carefully to avoid soil erosion and dirt or mud from leaking into surface waters, wetlands, and drainage systems. Following the completion of the work, any exposed soil will be reseeded with a native seed mix.
The ST alert (see it here) says this work will be complete by Monday, September 11, with all work to be done weekdays, between 7 am and 5 pm, no road closures expected, though the bike/pedestrian path might be closed “intermittently” for up to 15 minutes at a time while they’re moving equipment.
This comes as ST has been asking some property owners for access to their property for other field work. We heard from some residents who were concerned about what would happen if they refused to grant access to ST, and also whether the field work locations indicated some decisionmaking prior to the final EIS’s release. We took those questions to ST spokesperson Rachelle Cunningham, who replied:
We ask for permission to enter properties in the project corridor to gather information necessary for the environmental review and design of the alternatives we are studying. The fieldwork data informs the development and analysis of alternatives being studied in the environmental review process and helps us better understand the conditions of the land as well as any potential impacts the project could have on the built and natural environment.
The right of entry requests are voluntary, so it is up to the property owner whether they want to sign. If we don’t receive an agreement from a property owner, we will look to gather information from the public right-of-way.
We’re conducting fieldwork throughout the project area. It is possible that we have not yet contacted some properties that we may contact in the future. If any property owner or tenant has questions about potential impacts to their property, we encourage them to reach out to our team at wsblink@soundtransit.org and we will schedule a one-on-one meeting to discuss their property in relation to the current design.
It’s been a year since the Sound Transit Board voted on a “preferred alignment” for West Seattle, with the light-rail line now planned to open in 2032, after five years of construction. At the most recent public briefing in West Seattle, at May’s WS Transportation Coalition meeting, ST reps said the final EIS would be out no sooner than the second quarter of 2024.
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