New east-west corridor across south Renton in the works

Local, regional and state leaders broke ground recently on a critical step toward creating a new east-west route across south Renton and a connection to an improved Sounder station. The project is the extension of Southwest 27th Street/Strander Boulevard under the Burlington Northern Santa Fe tracks.

February 10, 2012 3:37 pm
Mayor Denis Law speaks at the groundbreaking Tuesday of a project that will help create a new east-west corridor across south Renton and provide access to Sound Transit’s Sounder station.
Mayor Denis Law speaks at the groundbreaking Tuesday of a project that will help create a new east-west corridor across south Renton and provide access to Sound Transit’s Sounder station.

Local, regional and state leaders broke ground recently on a critical step toward creating a new east-west route across south Renton and a connection to an improved Sounder station.

The project is the extension of Southwest 27th Street/Strander Boulevard under the Burlington Northern Santa Fe tracks.

The new east-west route also will provide an alternate route to Interstate 405 between Interstate 5 and State Route 167. It’s also an effort to promote transit use by creating the connection to Sound Transit’s Sounder station in Tukwila.

“We’re excited about what this enhanced access to transit will do to help spark further development in the Valley, including here at Longacres,” said Mayor Denis Law.  “Once the full build-out is completed, we will have a new corridor for freight, which is critical to so many businesses in the Green River Valley, the largest industrial area in Washington state.”

Julia Patterson, Sound Transit Board vice chair and County Council member, said the “new connection between Renton and Tukwila will provide convenient commuter access to Sound Transit’s permanent Tukwila Sounder Station, which, when complete, will serve nearly 400 transit users a day-plus King County Metro’s RapidRide F line.”