December 15, 2025
2025 ENR West Best Airport/Transit: Lynnwood Link Extension
An 8.5-mile expansion carries Sound Transit’s Link light rail system from north Seattle to Snohomish County, providing the county with its first light rail extension. The $3.3-billion project is expected to serve 55,000 daily riders by 2026.
Scope of work included new light rail tracks and station expansions spanning four city jurisdictions and WSDOT’s I-5 right-of-way, including the realignment of a longspan crossing over the interstate, which presented multiple technical, logistical and jurisdictional challenges and required meticulous planning to minimize disruptions. Extensive stakeholder engagement was necessary as well.
Early design packages allowed construction to begin before full design completion, a strategy that ensured scheduled completion in August 2024. But given the project’s pathway through busy areas, construction activities were carefully sequenced to minimize disruption and ensure the safety of workers, commuters and nearby communities. Advanced modeling also helped reduce risks and maintain safe working conditions.
Midway through the project, a fifth station was added to the project at NE 130th Street. The team shifted to allow for the additional scope, and despite the addition, the extension was delivered on time and within budget. The team also managed the realignment of a long-span crossing over I-5 and integrated multimodal transfer facilities, which helped minimize disruption and enhance connectivity, ensuring minimal disruption to highway traffic.
Lynnwood City Center Station is the first Sound Transit project to achieve LEED Gold certification, with the project achieving 30% energy cost reduction, 34% reduction in indoor water use and 81% construction waste diversion from landfills. Temporary soldier pile walls helped preserve 97% of wetland areas near McAleer Creek.
Each station along the expansion features customized plaza layouts, unique color palettes and original artwork based on community input. Stations were designed for accessibility, safety and user experience, incorporating intuitive layouts, ADA-compliant features and multimodal connections.
Read the original article from ENR.