Dive Brief:
- Sound Transit, the Seattle-area public transit agency, pushed back the opening of its West Seattle Link Extension from 2032 to 2035, according to a statement sent to Construction Dive. Construction will start in 2028, the agency said.
- The delay stems from cost savings work and a longer construction schedule for some of the extension’s most complex portions, which include bridge construction and an extended tunnel section, according to the statement.
- Despite the later opening, Sound Transit has started the procurement phase for several major packages, with additional procurements expected this fall and in 2027, according to the statement.
Dive Insight:
The delay highlights the challenges the Sound Transit board faces as it works to rein in costs for its ST3 capital program.
The program, which funds the West Seattle and Everett Link extensions, carries an estimated $34.5 billion funding gap over the next 20 years, according to the agency. The total cost for the ST3 initiative has ballooned to $185 billion in recent years, according to the Seattle Times.
“The primary factor that caused a shift in the anticipated revenue service date from 2032 to 2035 was time taken to analyze cost savings opportunities,” according to the Sound Transit statement.
After a September 2024 estimate found the project was no longer affordable under the agency’s long-range finance plan, Sound Transit spent months on the lookout for savings on the West Seattle extension, according to the agency. The work produced more than $2 billion in potential cost cuts, including the elimination of the proposed Avalon Station.
Nevertheless, the changes will not affect the packaging and delivery approach, Sound Transit said.
The transit agency advertised its Duwamish River Crossing and Guideways package in June and its SODO Station in August. Two more packages are due to hit the market in October. One package is for trackwork and systems, while another is for the Alaska Junction Station.
Design-bid-build procurements for the West Seattle tunnels and Delridge Station will follow in late 2027 and early 2028, according to the statement.
