Sound Transit tracked — from station to station — its plans for mitigating impacts from light rail in Bellevue with the City Council on Monday.

The transit agency will return in two weeks to provide greater detail regarding a pending 5-year closure of the South Bellevue Park & Ride — to be replaced by a light rail station and parking garage — and managing traffic impacts on Bellevue Way.

East Link Deputy Director Don Billen said Sound Transit has partnered with King County Metro to identify replacement parking sites during the park and ride’s closure, and is looking at underused P&Rs and lots for lease further east along Interstate 90. A temporary parking lot south of the park and ride will be constructed for accessing the Mercer Slough Nature Park.

Councilmembers expressed concerns about “wheel squeal” from the flange of train wheels rubbing against the track at curves. Sound Transit mitigated this problem following Central Link’s completion with lubricators — activated by approaching trains to release a non-petroleum lubricant. Billen said lubricators will be installed along the East Link alignment, particularly where high speeds and elevation would cause the most noise.

A deal has been struck with property owners for the Bellefield Office Park to cover the cost of a traffic signal at Southeast 15th Street and 112th Avenue Southeast, which will allow left turns out of the park to continue after light rail begins. Billen said the agreement with the office park is similar to one Sound Transit has with Microsoft for a ped-bike bridge across State Route 520.

Sound Transit has one 5-year contract for construction projects from I-90 to the East Main Station, which includes reconstructing a portion of 112th Avenue Southeast over where the rail alignment crosses to the west side of the road. Billen said it will be up to the contractor to determine when that project will be scheduled, and plans are to keep one lane of 112th open in both directions as that occurs. A signaled pedestrian crossing is also planned on 112th at the East Main Station.

An East Main Street Park is proposed to be sited where staging for mining an underground tunnel from just north of the East Main Station to the Bellevue Transit Center Station — connected to city hall — is to take place.

Billen said traditional tunnel mining methods will be used for this project — as it was for the Beacon Hill tunnel — and not boring machines. The council requested Sound Transit detail how much earth will be removed from the tunnel and retained cut along Bellevue Way and how that may impact traffic.

Nighttime and weekend lane closures are expected on Interstate 405 —to run a bridge across it from Northeast Sixth Street for light rail as it heads to the Hospital Station. Billen said support columns will be erected on the east and west side of I-405 and lanes will be closed whenever a portion of the bridge or tracks are being constructed overhead. He added a pedestrian path will be constructed from the Hospital Station to 116th Avenue Northeast.

Most Bellevue light rail stations are now at 60- and 90-percent design completion, but the 120th (Avenue Northeast) Station is still at 30 percent. Billen told the Reporter that Sound Transit is in discussions with Spring District developer Wright Runstad about possibly funding additional station enhancements there.

East Link light rail is slated to begin service in 2023.

Click here to view the slideshow provided by city and Sound Traffic staff on Monday.