Sound Transit: Construction on Lynnwood Link Extension at 'halfway point'

Construction on the Lynnwood Link Extension project — which seeks to connect North Seattle and South Snohomish County via light rail — is at the halfway point, according to Sound Transit officials.

"The remarkable progress we're making is visible daily for anyone driving along Interstate 5," Sound Transit CEO Peter Rogoff said in a news release. "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."

The $3.1 billion project broke ground in 2019 and is expected to be complete by 2024. By 2026, the 8.5-mile rail is expected to carry as many as 55,000 riders daily on trips between Lynnwood, Mountlake Terrace, Shoreline and Seattle’s Northgate neighborhood.

Sound Transit officials say their crews have finished building all 188 columns and have set 530 of the 533 girders needed. Rail work has begun in multiple locations, and construction on all 10 bridges has begun and is “80% complete.”

Construction on each of the three parking garages — one at the Lynnwood Transit Center and two in Shoreline — has also begun. The Lynnwood garage will have 1,670 stalls and the two Shoreline garages will each have 500 stalls.

The new line is expected to be a boon to travelers hoping to avoid the area’s notorious traffic congestion. Sound Transit officials say riders can expect a 27-minute trip between Lynnwood and downtown Seattle, and trips between Lynnwood and Seattle-Tacoma International Airport could take as little as an hour.
  
"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," Sound Transit Vice Chair Paul Roberts said in the release.

The Lynnwood Link Extension was just one proposal in a massive transportation package that Central Puget Sound voters approved in 2008.