View source for Federal Way Link Extension

{{short description|Future light rail expansion in King County, Washington}}
{{Federal Way Link Extension}}
The '''Federal Way Link Extension''' is a planned [[Link light rail]] extension of the [[1 Line (Sound Transit)|1&nbsp;Line]] that will travel {{convert|7.8|mi|km|abbr=}} south from [[Seattle-Tacoma International Airport|Sea-Tac Airport]] to [[Federal Way, Washington|Federal Way]], along the west side of [[Interstate 5 in Washington|Interstate 5]]. It was approved in 2008, but scaled back in 2010 to terminate at [[Kent Des Moines station]]. The [[Star Lake station|Star Lake]] and [[Federal Way Downtown station|Federal Way Downtown]] stations were re-instated in 2016, with the passing of [[Sound Transit 3]]. The project began construction in 2020 and is expected to open in 2026.

==History==
[[File:Federal Way Link Extension construction at SR 99, September 2022.JPG|thumb|left|Construction south of Angle Lake in 2022]]
In November 2008, voters approved funding for the segment between Sea-Tac Airport and Redondo/Star Lake at South 272nd Street. However, reduced tax revenue as a result of the [[Great Recession|economic recession]] led Sound Transit to suspend all work south of [[Angle Lake station|Angle Lake Station]] (South 200th Street) in December 2010.<ref>{{cite web |date=December 16, 2010 |title=Sound Transit Board Motion No. M2010-102 |url=http://www.soundtransit.org/sites/default/files/documents/pdf/about/board/motions/2010/Motion_M2010-102.pdf |publisher=Sound Transit |access-date=May 3, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160604151446/http://www.soundtransit.org/sites/default/files/documents/pdf/about/board/motions/2010/Motion_M2010-102.pdf |archive-date=June 4, 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Construction on the [[South 200th Link Extension]] to [[Angle Lake station]] began in April 2013.<ref>{{cite news |last=Lindblom |first=Mike |date=April 26, 2013 |title=Work begins on south end of Link light rail |url=http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/work-begins-on-south-end-of-link-light-rail/ |newspaper=[[The Seattle Times]] |access-date=May 3, 2016}}</ref> Angle Lake station opened to the public on September&nbsp;24, 2016.

On July&nbsp;23, 2015, the Sound Transit Board selected their preferred alternative for the Federal Way Link Extension, routed along the west side of [[Interstate 5 in Washington|Interstate 5]] with three stations serving [[Highline College]], the Star Lake [[park and ride]] and [[Federal Way Downtown station|Federal Way Transit Center]].<ref name="ST-PreferredAlt">{{cite press release |date=July 23, 2015 |title=Sound Transit Board identifies preferred alternative for light rail extension to Kent/Des Moines, Federal Way |url=http://www.soundtransit.org/About-Sound-Transit/News-and-events/News-releases/preferred-alternative-for-fwle |publisher=Sound Transit |access-date=July 24, 2015 |archive-date=September 24, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924104828/http://www.soundtransit.org/About-Sound-Transit/News-and-events/News-releases/preferred-alternative-for-fwle |url-status=dead }}</ref> Funding for preliminary engineering on the southern segment was restored in February 2016, allowing for planning to resume.<ref>{{cite press release |date=February 25, 2016 |title=Sound Transit advances engineering for Federal Way, Redmond light rail extensions |url=http://www.soundtransit.org/About-Sound-Transit/News-and-events/News-releases/sound-transit-advances-engineering-federal-way |publisher=Sound Transit |access-date=May 3, 2016}}</ref> The [[Sound Transit 3]] [[ballot measure]] was passed by voters in 2016, including funding and approval to open Federal Way Link in 2024, from Angle Lake to Federal Way Transit Center via Star Lake and Kent Des Moines.<ref>{{cite news |last=Demay |first=Daniel |date=May 26, 2016 |title=Sound Transit bumps up timelines for next phases of light rail |url=http://www.seattlepi.com/local/transportation/article/Sound-Transit-bumps-up-timelines-for-next-phases-7948363.php |work=[[Seattle Post-Intelligencer]] |access-date=September 9, 2016}}</ref> The final alignment for the line was chosen in January 2017, with an agreement signed with [[Federal Way Public Schools]] to move an elementary school near South 272nd Street station (now Star Lake station).<ref>{{cite news |last=Dawson |first=Rachel |date=January 30, 2017 |title=Officials reach agreement on Federal Way Link Extension's impact to Mark Twain Elementary |url=http://www.federalwaymirror.com/news/officials-reach-agreement-on-federal-way-link-extensions-impact-to-mark-twain-elementary/ |work=Federal Way Mirror |access-date=September 4, 2017}}</ref>

In July 2018, the project's estimated cost was revised to $2.55&nbsp;billion, due to land acquisition costs and limited availability of suitable contractors.<ref>{{cite news |last=Lindblom |first=Mike |date=July 26, 2018 |title=Soaring land and construction costs push light-rail line to Federal Way over $2.5 billion |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/transportation/soaring-land-and-construction-costs-push-light-rail-line-to-federal-way-over-2-5-billion/ |work=The Seattle Times |access-date=July 26, 2018}}</ref> The [[Federal Transit Administration]] awarded a $790&nbsp;million grant and $629&nbsp;million loan to Sound Transit for the project in December 2019.<ref name="Times-FTA">{{cite news |last=Lindblom |first=Mike |date=December 16, 2019 |title=Feds say they'll grant $790M for Federal Way light-rail extension |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/transportation/feds-say-theyll-grant-790m-for-federal-way-light-rail-extension/ |work=The Seattle Times |access-date=December 31, 2019}}</ref> Construction began in early 2020, which was commemorated with a virtual [[groundbreaking]] ceremony due to the [[COVID-19 pandemic]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Sailor |first=Craig |date=July 16, 2020 |title=The earth is moving for $3.1 billion light rail extension from SeaTac to Federal Way |url=https://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/article244225387.html |work=The News Tribune |access-date=July 16, 2020}}</ref> The movable forms used on sections of the project were reused from the [[Tilikum Crossing]] project on the [[MAX Light Rail]] system in [[Portland, Oregon]].<ref name="Times-Bridge2024"/> The final [[girder]]s connecting to the existing guideway at Angle Lake station were placed in April 2022.<ref>{{cite press release |date=April 6, 2022 |title=Federal Way light rail construction connects to existing 1 Line |url=https://www.soundtransit.org/get-to-know-us/news-events/news-releases/federal-way-light-rail-construction-connects-to-existing-1 |publisher=Sound Transit |access-date=April 8, 2022}}</ref> Sound Transit adopted the official names for the project's three stations in June 2022.<ref>{{cite news |last=Hunter |first=Steve |date=June 27, 2022 |title=Sound Transit approves light rail station names in Kent, Federal Way |url=https://www.federalwaymirror.com/news/sound-transit-approves-light-rail-station-names-in-kent-federal-way/ |work=Federal Way Mirror |access-date=October 11, 2022}}</ref>

The start of light rail service to Federal Way was pushed back to 2026 due to several issues, including a four-month strike by concrete truck drivers and issues discovered during construction.<ref>{{cite news |last=Lindblom |first=Mike |date=August 18, 2022 |title=More delays for light rail to Bellevue, Redmond, Federal Way, Lynnwood |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/transportation/more-delays-for-light-rail-to-bellevue-redmond-federal-way-lynnwood/ |work=The Seattle Times |access-date=August 18, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Federal Way Link Extension |url=https://www.soundtransit.org/system-expansion/federal-way-link-extension |publisher=Sound Transit |access-date=August 18, 2022}}</ref> A section between Kent/Des Moines and Star Lake stations was redesigned to use a {{convert|500|ft|m|adj=mid}} elevated span due to unstable soils in a wetland along Interstate 5.<ref>{{cite news |last=Lindblom |first=Mike |date=May 26, 2023 |title=Wetlands bridge adds delay and $72 million to light-rail project |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/transportation/wetlands-bridge-adds-delay-and-72-million-to-light-rail-project/ |work=The Seattle Times |access-date=June 1, 2023}}</ref> The wetlands had been the site of a mudslide that closed a freeway lane in July 2022 and has a high risk of [[soil liquefaction]] during seismic events.<ref name="Times-Bridge2024">{{cite news |last=Lindblom |first=Mike |date=June 30, 2024 |title=The light rail bridge spectacle you've eyeballed for so long nears the finish line |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/transportation/the-light-rail-bridge-spectacle-youve-eyeballed-for-so-long-nears-the-finish-line/ |work=The Seattle Times |accessdate=July 1, 2024}}</ref> The balanced cantilever bridge will be longest span on the Link light rail system and is planned to be buried by soil after it is completed in September 2024.<ref name="Times-Bridge2024"/><ref>{{cite news |last=Sailor |first=Craig |date=December 28, 2023 |title=Sound Transit is building a bridge it will bury before Federal Way Link extension opens |url=https://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/article282942328.html |work=The News Tribune |accessdate=December 29, 2023}}</ref>

==Route==
From [[Angle Lake station]], the terminus of the [[South 200th Link Extension]], the line will travel southeast along the planned [[Washington State Route 509|State Route 509]] freeway extension to [[Interstate 5 in Washington|Interstate 5]]. From there, trains will run on the west side of I-5, serving [[Highline College]] at [[Kent Des Moines station]], and a [[park-and-ride]] at [[Star Lake station]] (South 272nd Street), before ending at the [[Federal Way Downtown station]].<ref name="ST-PreferredAlt"/> The tracks continue beyond the station to a parking lot south of South 320th Street, where the [[Tacoma Dome Link Extension]] would begin construction.<ref>{{cite news |last=Sullivan |first=Olivia |date=August 1, 2022 |title=Sound Transit installs elevated tracks over S. 320th Street in Federal Way |url=https://www.kentreporter.com/northwest/sound-transit-installs-elevated-tracks-over-s-320th-street-in-federal-way/ |work=Kent Reporter |access-date=December 1, 2022}}</ref> The Federal Way Extension is planned to carry 18,000 to 23,000 daily passengers by 2028.<ref name="Times-Bridge2024"/>

A new operations and maintenance facility is planned to be constructed to support operations of the future Tacoma Dome Link Extension with candidate sites near Kent Des Moines station or southern Federal Way.<ref>{{cite web |title=Operations and Maintenance Facility South |url=https://www.soundtransit.org/system-expansion/operations-maintenance-facility-south |publisher=Sound Transit |access-date=September 23, 2019}}</ref> The proposed Kent Des Moines site at the former [[Midway Landfill]] replaced an earlier proposal that was withdrawn after public concerns over the displacement of a [[Dick's Drive-In]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Eldridge |first=Keith |date=May 24, 2019 |title=Dick's Drive-In in Kent spared from destruction by Sound Transit |url=https://komonews.com/news/local/dicks-drive-in-in-kent-spared-by-sound-transit |publisher=KOMO 4 News |access-date=September 23, 2019}}</ref> A site in southern Federal Way occupied by a [[megachurch]] was chosen as the preferred alternative in 2021 and confirmed by the Sound Transit board in 2024.<ref>{{cite news |last=Sullivan |first=Olivia |date=December 17, 2021 |title=Sound Transit Board approves Federal Way site for light rail maintenance facility |url=https://www.kentreporter.com/news/sound-transit-board-approves-federal-way-site-for-light-rail-maintenance-facility/ |work=Kent Reporter |access-date=December 1, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Sailor |first=Craig |date=June 28, 2024 |title=Sound Transit will raze Federal Way megachurch to erect rail facility, board decides |url=https://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/article289597664.html |work=The News Tribune |accessdate=July 1, 2024}}</ref>

==Stations==
{|class="wikitable"
|-
!Name
!City/Neighborhood
!Location
!Planned<br />Year
|-
|[[Angle Lake station|Angle Lake]]
|[[Seatac, Washington|Seatac]]
|International Blvd and S 200th St
|2016
|-
|align=center colspan="6"|''End of [[South 200th Link Extension]]''
|-
|[[Kent Des Moines station|Kent Des Moines]]
|[[Kent, Washington|Kent]], [[Des Moines, Washington|Des Moines]]
|Pacific Highway S and [[Washington State Route 516|Kent-Des Moines Rd]]
|2026
|-
|[[Star Lake station|Star Lake]]
|[[Federal Way, Washington|Federal Way]]
|Pacific Highway S and S 272nd St
|2026
|-
|[[Federal Way Downtown station|Federal Way Downtown]]
|[[Federal Way, Washington|Federal Way]]
|23rd Ave S and S 317th St
|2026
|}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Attached KML}}
*[https://www.soundtransit.org/system-expansion/federal-way-link-extension Official project page]
*[http://federalwaylink.org/ Sound Transit promotional website]

{{Puget Sound Transit}}

[[Category:1500 V DC railway electrification]]
[[Category:2026 in rail transport]]
[[Category:Link light rail]]
[[Category:Proposed railway lines in Washington (state)]]
[[Category:Rapid transit systems under construction]]