Award: Light rail extension design
Value: Not disclosed, entire project cost between $6.7 and $7.1 billion
Location: Seattle
Client: Sound Transit
Sound Transit selected Dallas-based Jacobs to provide design services for the up to $7.1 billion West Seattle Link Extension, which aims to enhance connectivity for residential and economic centers and offer faster, more reliable service, according to a July 17 news release from Jacobs.
The extension will add 4.1 miles of light rail, a new bridge, tunnel and four new stations, linking Seattle's SODO neighborhood with West Seattle's Alaska Junction neighborhood, according to the project website. The project will also be the catalyst for new development near stations, including retail and affordable housing.
Jacobs will lead Phase 1 design and design validation for the project, per the release. The cost of the contract was not disclosed.
"Jacobs has delivered some of Puget Sound's most critical transportation solutions for 70 years, including approximately 30 miles of light rail system expansions for Sound Transit," said Jacobs Executive Vice President Ron Williams in the release. Those include the Northgate Link Extension Project and the I-90 portion of the Eastlink project, according to Jacobs.
Planning began in 2017, per the project website. The Sound Transit Board selected route and station locations for the West Seattle Link Extension Project in October 2024, and the Federal Transit Agency approved the extension in April, allowing it to move to the final design phase.
Construction is expected to begin in 2027, and the line is expected to begin service in 2032.
