North Mercer Park and Ride opens at last

The Island’s two-story park and ride lot opened on Monday without fanfare after being closed for nearly two years. The two-level structure has 447 parking spots compared to 250 in the old lot. Originally a $16.8 million project, an additional $2.3 million was needed for a retrofit when problems arose with a cracked beam. The temporary lots and extra Metro shuttle routes in place during construction will end Feb. 8.