Building a “Ship in a Bottle” for Seattle’s Light Rail Expansion
N140 U District Station
Hoffman is building a new 117,000 SF underground light rail station, one of three to be constructed as part of the 4.3-mile Northlink extension that will link UW Husky Stadium to Northgate in Seattle.
This new $160 million, 117,000 SF underground light rail station is one of three to be constructed for the 4.3-mile Northlink extension of light rail from UW Husky Stadium to Northgate in Seattle. The building is mostly underground, so everything must be fed in from the top. While the site was excavated and shored by another contractor, Hoffman’s temporary bracing scheme utilizes 42-inch pipes for bracing the top of the shoring wall. The team refers to this station as the equivalent of building a ship in a bottle, through a drainage grate. The project is designed to accommodate a transit-oriented development over the top of the station, with a maximum structure height of 280 feet.