Cold steel in the Central Corridor

There are signs of things to come along the Central Corridor Light Rail line. Some concrete here. Some asphalt there.

But for much of the construction so far, it's been all Central Corridor and not much rail.

These days, though, the steel is starting to pile up along University Avenue. This stack runs for almost a quarter mile along University between Snelling and Hamline.

Central Corridor Spokeswoman Laura Baenen says this is the project's "open air welding shop" and that workers have been putting together 1000 ft. sections of rail for weeks. By that measure, there's about 18 miles of rail sitting here -- not quite half of the rail for the dual-track 11 mile line.

UPDATE: Metropolitan Council spokeswoman Bonnie Kollodge says another welding operation was set up in downtown St. Paul on Wednesday, on 12th street between Robert and Cedar. She says the first rail could be moving down to 4th Street as early as next week.

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