Light rail will be coming to Mercer Island starting March 28

It will be all systems go on March 28 for Sound Transit’s Crosslake Connection light rail across the Interstate 90 floating bridge.

And that will include the long-awaited opening of the Mercer Island Station situated at 77th Avenue Southeast and 80th Avenue Southeast. The facility will be one of the segments of the 14-mile East Link Extension Project.

At a press conference on Jan. 23 at the East Portal Viewpoint on Lake Washington Boulevard South in Seattle, Sound Transit Board members, project partners and staff announced the opening day for the connection between South Bellevue and International District/Chinatown stations. This includes the new Mercer Island Station and Judkins Park Station in Seattle in the final East Link segment, which features innovative engineering to run electric trains across Lake Washington.

According to Sound Transit, “When the Crosslake Connection opens this spring, light rail will carry passengers across a floating bridge for the first time ever. This 7.4-mile extension of the 2 Line will connect with the 1 Line at the International District/Chinatown station, completing the regional light rail system approved by voters under ST2, and greatly increasing capacity in the busiest part of the system.”

The new stations will feature trains running approximately every eight minutes during peak times and between 10-15 minutes for the remainder of the day.

A Reporter article in December of 2025 noted that Sound Transit’s target date for opening day was May 31. Rachelle Cunningham, Sound Transit’s public information officer, said they were working hard to open sooner than that date — and that’s been achieved two months earlier.

A pair of light rail crossings between Seattle and Mercer Island have already taken place. During the early morning hours of Sept. 8-9 of last year, a powered light rail vehicle traversed a floating bridge for the first time worldwide. On May 21 of last year, Sound Transit pushed a test train across the bridge.

Mercer Island Mayor Dave Rosenbaum told the Reporter: “The opening of the Link Light Rail 2 Line Crosslake Connection on March 28 marks a historic milestone for Mercer Island, finally providing a reliable, traffic-free connection to the region that many in our community are eager to utilize. As a city, we look forward to the many benefits this will bring to residents, businesses, and visitors. At the same time, we hear the concerns regarding community safety and the changes this brings to the Island. The city has been preparing for this day for years, and we remain fully committed to working closely with our police department, Sound Transit, and other regional partners to ensure the station and surrounding area remains a safe, welcoming, and high-quality environment for everyone.”

Due to issues that arose in 2022 with the cast-in-place concrete plinths that support the tracks, the original projected East Link opening of mid-2023 was delayed, according to a previous Reporter story. The construction challenges also caused delays in the opening of other cities’ routes.

Mercer Island’s recent Town Center projects are focused on helping pedestrians get to and from the light rail station safely and more efficiently and they include work on crosswalks, sidewalk construction, ADA-accessible curb ramps, street lighting, traffic signals and parking. The new commuter parking facility on Southeast 27th Street and Sunset Highway features 35 parking stalls, bike racks, bike lockers and fresh landscaping, according to city documents.