Sound Transit has delayed the expected opening of the West Seattle Link Extension to 2035, pushing back the project timeline by three years from its previous 2032 target, according to coverage by Komonews and Westseattleblog. During a meeting of the board’s System Expansion Committee, Sound Transit Acting Chief Capital Delivery Officer Brad Owen described the schedule shift as difficult news tied to agency efforts to address a nearly $35 billion gap in its long-range finance plan through the Enterprise Initiative. The 3.9-mile extension is planned to connect Alaska Junction in West Seattle to SODO.
Sound Transit Pushes West Seattle Link Extension Opening to 2035
Originally, a 2030 opening was promised during the 2016 ballot campaign, following an originally proposed 2033 date in the ST3 ballot measure. The timeline previously shifted to 2031 due to the pandemic, and then to 2032 following a 2021 realignment.
Construction Schedules, Duwamish River Crossing, and SODO Redesigns
According to Seattle Transit Blog, the opening date slipped to 2035 due to longer-than-expected construction times required for major project elements, specifically building the new bridge across the Duwamish Waterway. When the extension opens in 2035, 3 Line trains will shuttle passengers across the waterway to transfer to the 1 Line in SODO. Passengers will need to wait until the second tunnel is completed in 2042 to get a one-seat ride into downtown Seattle through the first tunnel.
To keep the project affordable, Sound Transit identified cost-saving measures earlier in the year that trimmed about $2 billion from the West Seattle project, including scrapping the Avalon Station. Additionally, the agency announced a new SODO design solution developed in collaboration with the City of Seattle, Seattle City Light, elected leaders, and community stakeholders. This design relocates major city infrastructure—specifically Seattle City Light’s 230-kilovolt and 26-kilovolt transmission poles and lines—entirely within the light rail project footprint in the SODO Busway. This change avoids moving massive powerlines onto 6th Avenue South, saving over $100 million and removing the risk of damage to other critical city transportation and water infrastructure.
Property Acquisitions and Budget Adjustments
The System Expansion Committee approved a resolution to more than double the price tag for acquiring property in the expansion path, increasing expected costs for property acquisition and construction support services from $738,612,926 to more than $1.5 billion—an increase of $765 million. Total property acquisition costs are slated to rise to nearly $562,982,000 across 55 parcels of land, which include 19 homes, industrial facilities, railroads, and city- or county-owned land.
Sound Transit officials stated that the increase will not alter the overall budget of the extension, which remains within current total cost estimates of around $5 billion, nor will it materially impact other expansion projects. Managers reported using phone and email to contact all affected property owners and promised a vacant property strategy to ensure properties are not unoccupied for more than a few months before actual construction needs arise. The committee advanced the plan via a unanimous voice vote to the full board, alongside a companion resolution for the budget amendment.
