Seattle to Bellevue light rail gets delayed again

Catch up quick: It now looks like service over Lake Washington will begin around early 2026, Sound Transit officials said in a blog post this week.

• When voters originally approved the East Link extension in 2008, Sound Transit had hoped to begin service as soon as 2020.

Zoom in: The stretch over the Interstate 90 floating bridge continues to be the main problem, officials said in this week's blog post.

• During final installation of the rail tracks, the agency discovered that "a small number" of bolt inserts need replacement, per the blog post.
• Sound Transit says it is also taking extra steps to ensure that running electrified light rail across the bridge won't damage the bridge structure.

State of play: For now, a shorter light rail line is operating on the Eastside between Bellevue and Redmond.

• Two new stops opened May 10, bringing the total number of Eastside stations to 10.

Yes, but: The delay in finishing the I-90 crossing has pushed back the opening of stations on Mercer Island and in Seattle's Judkins Park neighborhood.

• Those stations are now looking as if they'll also open in early 2026, once the portion over the I-90 bridge is complete.

What's next: When the entire East Link route is done, Sound Transit's Line 2 will extend from Seattle's International District/Chinatown station to Bellevue and into Redmond.