I-5: Mountlake Terrace Freeway Station #7649

If you have travelled north on I-5, just over the county line into Snohomish county, you have seen a construction project in the center median of I-5. (Mileposts: 177.67 to 179.31).

The Washington State Department of Transportation and Sound Transit are building a bus station in the median of I-5 at 236th Street SW in Mountlake Terrace. The station will have bus-only ramp connections to the I-5 HOV lanes. An overpass will allow riders to park in the multi-story park n ride structure and walk to the bus station. This will enable Sound Transit busses to serve Snohomish county riders.

Community Transit opened the Mountlake Terrace Transit Center on February 23, 2009 at the site of the old Mountlake Terrace Park & Ride. The transit center project is separate from Sound Transit and WSDOT's freeway station project.

Current planning for Sound Transit in Shoreline calls for the lines to come up the east side of I-5, with stops at 145th and 185th. Final planning has not started, so it is uncertain if the 145th stop would actually be in Shoreline or in Seattle, on the south side of 145th. A stop at 185th was chosen because there is already a freeway overpass on 185th.

The median of I-5 in King county was narrowed some years ago to add additional lanes in either direction.

It has not yet been suggested as to how and where the line would be placed from King county to Snohomish county. how it would navigate freeway cloverleafs and whether there would be an impact on the bus station under construction in Mountlake Terrace.

Photos by Steven H. Robinson

Photo looking south on I-5.  MLT parking to left and the green sign for NE 205th to right.  Overpass is 236th in MLT.