U.S. Sen. Patty Murray and Gov. Chris Gregoire marked on Oct. 10 the beginning of traffic improvements on state routes 518 and 509 at the Tukwila light rail station, which is still under construction.

They also paid tribute to Sound Transit's light rail system and the three-story, glass-walled station at South 154th Street and Tukwila International Boulevard.

The station is slated to open in July 2009. Free shuttle buses will carry riders between the station and Sea-Tac International Airport until the airport/ SeaTac city center light rail station open at South 176th Street and International Boulevard.

Though the sole bid for airport station construction came in way over estimates, officials are still aiming for a Dec. 2009 opening.

Gov. Gregoire added that improvements to the SR 509 /518 interchange and a third eastbound lane on SR 518 from International Boulevard to the interchange with Interstates 5 and 405 would improve traffic safety.

The SR 509/518 interchange, a gateway to the city of Burien, will receive new landscaping, signs and traffic signal revisions.

The landscaping is designed to alert drivers to reduce speed and watch for pedestrians because they are moving from a freeway onto Burien city streets.

The Port of Seattle, which operates the airport, has contributed $7 million to the Washington State Department of Transportation project and has pledged another $3 million if needed. Funding will also come from $ 4.8 million in federal grants and $22 million from the 2005 state gas tax.

Farther east, the third lane project will reconfigure SR 518 on-ramps from the North Airport Expressway and the boulevard (State Route 99).

By moving the on ramps farther apart, planners expect fewer traffic delays.

The port is funding up to $10 million for the project.

Sen. Murray noted she has watched the construction progress on the Tukwila station every weekend as she flies between Washington, D.C., and Seattle.

"The Tukwila station is going to be gorgeous," she predicted.

Murray also praised the upcoming airport light-rail link and SR 518 improvements.

"We are investing in our children's future," Murray declared. "(Future travelers) won't thank port leaders, they will just move through the airport more quickly."

Gregoire said she envisions air travelers from as far away as Everett and Tacoma boarding Sounder commuter trains to the Tukwila Sounder station near the old Longacres site. They would then bus over to the Tukwila light rail station to catch a ride to the airport.

"It will be a fast reliable connection no matter the weather," Gregoire said.

She added the "complex project" is "on time and on budget and that deserves a round of applause."

Noting the airport link is scheduled to be completed in time for the January 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, B.C., the governor said "we intend to have people drop some money here" before taking light rail to Seattle and then Amtrak trains on to Canada.

Rep. Dave Upthegrove, D-Des Moines, said he "grew up in the shadow of the airport. My dad was a pilot."

He said transportation improvements need to continue.

"It is too expensive not to invest in the transportation system," Upthegrove declared. "It is a quality of life issue. People should be with their families, not stuck in traffic."

Event participants missed out on some of Tukwila Station's amenities.

The escalators are not yet operational so Washington's senior senator, governor and numerous local officials had to hoof it up the three flights of steep stairs to reach the platform area.

The parking lot, which will have 600 vehicle stalls with bus and "kiss-'n-ride" lanes, is not completed. The station is the only one in Sound Transit's light rail system designed for park-'n-ride customers.

And cloudy fall weather masked reportedly spectacular views of Mount Rainier. Mount Baker and Mount Pilchuck from the third-story platform.