Sound Transit will break ground for the light rail extension to the University at 2 p.m. Friday, March 6, at Husky Stadium. President Mark Emmert and dignitaries from state and local government will lift their shovels to mark the official start of the project.

Utilities work in preparation for the station has already begun and major construction will start after the 2009 Husky football season. Interested people are encouraged to come to Friday's ceremony on foot, on a bicycle or by bus, because parking in the area will be extremely limited.

With service between downtown Seattle, Capitol Hill and the UW, this extension -- slated to be in service by 2016 -- will make traveling to the UW three times faster than taking the freeway. By 2030, the University Link line will be a key component of the regional light rail system moving more than 285,000 people a day.