SEATTLE — Sound Transit’s board of directors has approved the final route and station locations for the West Seattle light rail extension.
The project will add 4.1 miles of track with four new stations at SODO, Delridge, Avalon and the Alaska Junction.
The board’s approval allows the project to move into the final design phase. Construction is expected to begin in 2027 and is estimated to take about five years.
“Today marks an important milestone in delivering light rail to West Seattle,” said Sound Transit Board Chair and King County Executive Dow Constantine. “Through the Board-directed work plan, our action today allows Sound Transit to use the design process to address cost pressures, reduce impacts, and prepare projects for construction, fulfilling our promise to the voters. I want to thank everyone who has engaged with us throughout the planning process to-date.”
For bus riders like Kevin Wright, light rail expansion could be a game-changer for their daily commute.
"I think it's going to be extremely convenient for everybody waiting on buses in the morning for all the packed buses. I think it will be a lot more easy to get from West Seattle to downtown," said Wright, a lifelong resident of the area.
Approved by voters in 2016, the project is expected to cost between $6.7 and $7.1 billion, which is a sharp increase over the projected total of $5 million just last year.
The route includes an at-grade station near South Lander Street in SODO, connecting to an elevated track along the West Seattle Bridge to the Duwamish section near SW Andover Street. The route then connects elevated tracks to a station near 35th Avenue SW and Fauntleroy Way SW, into a tunnel along 41st Avenue SW to end near SW Hudson Street.
"I've traveled a lot internationally and when I go to cities with a great subway system, it's incredible. You can get anywhere you want and I love that. I want that for Seattle," said Chris Mackay, executive director of the West Seattle Junction Association. "I'm excited about the future and what it could bring to the West Seattle Junction."
A long road ahead
While personally excited for the future of light rail in West Seattle, Mackay acknowledged the potential impact construction could have on area businesses.
"Getting from here to there is going to painful," she said, referring to businesses that will be in the eventual construction zone. "That's going to be extremely painful for them and I'm worried about them. I don't want to lose those businesses. A lot of them mean a lot to the area and people."
Mackay said she's been involved in discussions with Sound Transit as recently as Friday morning.
"I'm just hoping that there's a lot of collaboration in making this happen with the least amount of pain and the most amount of fruit coming out of this endeavor," Mackay told KING 5.