Construction of Lynnwood Link extension reaches fifty percent completion

Train arriving at Northgate Station. Photo by Carl Dinse

Two years after groundbreaking on the project, civil construction on the Lynnwood Link extension has reached the fifty percent completion mark. Construction teams continue to advance the work on the project, which is scheduled to open in 2024.

"In just two years, riders will be able to avoid some of the worst highway congestion in the nation and enjoy reliable trips to their destination," said Sound Transit Vice Chair and Everett City Council member Paul Roberts. 

"Because Sound Transit is at the national forefront of operating carbon-free transit, riding Lynnwood Link will be the environmentally friendly way to get around the region."

Among the construction progress made to date:

• All of the project’s 188 columns are complete.
• 530 of the 533 girders have been set, with the remaining girders to be set before the end of the year.
• Rail work has begun on multiple locations
• Construction of all ten 10 bridges has begun and is at 80% complete.

"The remarkable progress we’re making is visible daily for anyone driving along I-5," said Sound Transit CEO Peter Rogoff. "Considering that most of the work to date has been done during the pandemic, this milestone is a testament to the commitment of the project’s workforce."

Northgate station photo by Steven H. Robinson

Construction is also well underway on three new garages being built for the extension. The garages at the Shoreline South/148th and Shoreline North/185th stations, will each have approximately 500 parking spaces.

The new garage at Lynnwood Transit Center will contain 1,670 parking stalls in a five-story structure. The parking garage is scheduled to open to the public in the spring of 2023, more than a year before light rail service to the Lynnwood City Center Station begins, in order to allow for the site work around the station to be completed.

Stacy and Witbeck/Kiewit/Hoffman JV and Skanska Constructors L300 JV are executing the civil construction on the extension. The $3.1 billion project budget includes up to $1.17 billion from a Full Funding Grant Agreement executed by the Federal Transit Administration. 

In addition, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Build America Bureau executed a $658 million low-interest loan supporting the project, including new LRVs and support facilities. 

At its initial signing in 2016, this loan saved regional taxpayers an estimated $200 million to $300 million through lower interest costs. In 2021, the US Department of Transportation refinanced this loan in light of lower interest rates, allowing taxpayers to save an additional $150 million to $250 million.

By 2024 Lynnwood Link and other extensions currently under construction will more than double the length of the region’s light rail system. 

148th Station construction and site of future pedestrian bridge.
Aerial photography by Jared Solano. Instagram @Juarez.Solano

After Lynnwood opens in 2024 riders will enjoy fast, frequent and reliable service between south Snohomish County, the University of Washington, downtown Seattle, the Eastside, Sea-Tac Airport and Federal Way. 

The extension includes four new stations serving Lynnwood, Mountlake Terrace, Shoreline and Seattle.

Lynnwood Link light rail service is scheduled to begin in 2024. Commuters from the Lynnwood Transit Center will enjoy 20-minute rides to the University of Washington, 27-minute rides to downtown Seattle and 60-minute rides to Sea-Tac Airport. Trains from Lynnwood will also serve the Eastside and reach downtown Bellevue in 51 minutes.