Rail - Tacoma - Bypass of Point Defiance

Quarterly Project Report Update for Quarter Ending March 2007

Project Title & Location
Pt. Defiance Bypass-Phase 1, Pierce Co., WA

Project Description
Constructs and upgrades part of the mainline tracks along a 20-mile corridor for passenger service. Results in 6-minute reduction in Seattle-Portland schedule.

Contractor/Consultant
Sound Transit, Seattle, and Tacoma Rail, Tacoma

Recent Progress
WSDOT is continuing the design and environmental work to construct improvements that will allow Amtrak Cascades trains to use the bypass route without being delayed by freight or Sounder commuter trains.  This will also reduce travel times between Seattle/Tacoma and Portland by six minutes.  The design and environmental work remain on schedule and on budget.  The WSDOT design effort reached 60 percent completion in March.  WSDOT is currently analyzing the estimates to ensure the project is on budget. 

WSDOT continues to coordinate with Sound Transit to ensure the WSDOT project is compatible with the Sound Transit Lakewood Extension project.  In January and February, WSDOT and Sound Transit continued discussing issues involved in administrating the construction and the property purchases.  As the project develops, WSDOT is continuing to meet with the local agencies and will be keeping citizens informed.

Design Construction Impacts
The construction impacts have not been determined.

Environmental Impacts / Compliance
The environmental impacts have not been determined.

Impacts to Traffic
Impacts to rail and roadway traffic have not been determined.

Project Milestones Scheduled Attained Milestone Outlook
Begin Engineering Jul 2006 Jul 2006 Engineering is on schedule for completion by January 2008.
Right-of-Way Purchased Dec 2007 Not yet begun.
Environmental Documentation Complete Dec 2007 On schedule.
Construction Begins Jan 2008
Construction Complete Jun 2010
Project Cost Summary: Dollars in
millions
Percent
of Total

Planned vs. Actual Expenditures
(Total Project Cost)
Project Expenditure Chart

Preliminary Engineering $5.64 9.5%
Right-of-Way $0.20 0.3%
Construction $53.74 90.2%
Funded Project Costs $59.58 100%

Nickel funds included in above costs

$7.07 11.9%

2005 Transportation Partnership Account

  For more information, go to www.wsdot.wa.gov/projects

Kevin Jeffers, Project Manager at 360-705-7982 or E-mail: jefferk@wsdot.wa.gov