(The Center Square) – Sound Transit’s expansion into east King County will continue with two new stations in the city of Redmond set to open in May.
Starting on May 10, travelers on Sound Transit’s Link 2 Line will be able to travel through two new stations in southeast Redmond, at Marymoor Village and downtown Redmond.
This is the next phase of the east Link expansion, with the initial segment of the 2 Line between south Bellevue and Redmond Technology Station opening in April 2024, which resulted in a first-day ridership of 35,000.
Service from the two upcoming Redmond stations will run from 5:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. seven days a week and will connect with the regional transit network at south Bellevue, downtown Bellevue, and Redmond Technology stations.
“Building on last year’s opening of the 2 Line and looking forward to the connection across Lake Washington this year, the opening of the Downtown Redmond Link Extension continues the eastside’s transformation and welcomes a new era that will make life better for people across our region,” King County Councilmember and Sound Transit Board Vice Chair Claudia Balducci said in a news release.
The $3.7 billion East Link Extension project was approved by voters in 2008, with construction on the project beginning in 2017. Approximately $2.2 billion in local funding is provided in Sound Transit 2 Bonds leveraging the voter-approved measure
The full east link extension project is not anticipated to be open until sometime in late 2025 as construction is still ongoing on the Interstate 90 segment. This segment includes stations on Mercer Island and Judkins Park.
The full Link 2 Line will connect to the 1 Line at the International District/Chinatown Station in Seattle, finally completing the Sound Transit connection to east King County.