Seattle regional transportation authority Sound Transit is being sued for an undisclosed amount of money by contractor Kiewit Pacific over skyrocketing costs associated with its $2.7-billion light rail project. "Kiewit was reluctant to pursue this course but is left with no choice since [the contract] specifies litigation after mediation fails," says company spokesman Kent Grisham. Kiewit Pacific is nearly done building a 156,000-sq-ft train maintenance facility near Seattle and laying roughly 1.6 miles of track on the 15.6-mile Central Link line connecting downtown Seattle and Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. "Sound Transit and Kiewit tried to work out cost differences during a two-day mediation six months ago," says Ahmad Fazel, Sound Transit�s light-rail director. The company and transit agency came to an agreement on some issues and Sound Transit increased payments to Kiewit by $11 million in change orders. However, Kiewit Pacific wants additional money to cover the rising costs of steel and delays caused by contaminated soil.