Beacon Hill Sees Light, Predicts End of Tunnel*
Photo courtesy of Cria-cow [flickr]
At some point tomorrow, a press conference will be held at the east end of the new Beacon Hill Light Rail tunnel to celebrate the completion of tunnel digging activities. In other words, the Emerald Mole is about to break through the side of the hill (for the second time, actually, because the Beacon Hill tunnel is really two tunnels side by side).
While digging is finally coming to a close the tunnel is far from finished. There’s concrete to be poured for the track base, station, and walkways. The track itself still needs to be laid and the overhead wires for the train cars positioned. There’s also the glass brick and granite for the underground station that needs to be installed and lighting and electricity for the whole shebang. Then, of course, there’s the public art. After all of that is complete, there’s still six months of testing before the train will be ready to carry its first passengers.
But it feels good to note that we’re a mere year and a half away from being able to take the train from downtown to the airport or from Westlake Center to Safeco and Qwest Fields. I know light rail isn’t going to take very many cars off the road. I know adding buses would’ve been a lot cheaper and served a lot more people. I’m excited anyway. I feel like Seattle is growing up right before my eyes (although I think we’re headed toward an awkward and angst-ridden adolescence).
Light rail won’t make a dent in traffic but it will definitely change the landscape of the city. In our minds, there will be two Seattles — the one before light rail and the one after.
I know it’s not much, but I’ll take it.
*I feel bad about this headline. It was so damned obvious I couldn’t help myself. $10 one of our esteemed dailies uses some derivative of it this week in an article about the tunnel.
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The headline kills me. Good job.