Federal Way light rail less than 5 weeks away

Although the opening date of the Federal Way light rail has changed several times, Sound Transit is reminding riders the time is near.

In less than five weeks, passengers will be able to take the light rail all the way to Federal Way, according to a news release from Sound Transit on Thursday.

The Federal Way Link Extension will add 7.8 miles and three new stations on the 1 Line, including Kent Des Moines, Star Lake, and Federal Way Downtown.

“Thanks to taxpayers, Sound Transit staff and hard-working contractors, we are another step closer to celebrating this important regional milestone,” Snohomish County Executive and Sound Transit Board Chair Dave Somers stated via the news release.

Sound Transit noted the final phase of testing has started, where light rails will run a normal schedule without passengers between Angle Lake and Federal Way.

“With the start of simulated service, we are that much closer to the opening of these three new stations in South King County,” Sound Transit CEO Dow Constantine stated.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony is planned for the opening on December 6. The celebration will start at 9:30 a.m. and service to the new stations will begin at 11 a.m.

Federal Way light rail extension faces setbacks

However, the extension project hasn’t come without its setbacks.

In July, The Urbanist reported the Federal Way light rail extension was opening earlier than expected. But, while the light rail was projected to open at the end of 2025 instead of early 2026, Sound Transit was not ahead of its original schedule.

In 2023, KIRO Newsradio reported the Federal Way light rail would be delayed another year and wouldn’t be open until 2026, which at the time was a two-year setback.

The light rail extension was 70% done in 2023 when crews were hit with a bump in the road.

Contractors had to build a 500-foot-long bridge over unstable soil. The original plan was to build flat rail tracks, but following the discovery, there was concern that a single seismic event could disrupt the rail.

Federal Way Mayor Jim Ferrell said Sound Transit did study the soil before construction, but failed to find anything wrong until May 2023.

“They [Sound Transit] were required to do it before,” Ferrell said. “Then I think that it was so heavily wooded in that area, that it wasn’t really till they got a lot of those trees out. And they really kind of figured out what they had with the trees gone.”

He noted that “nobody likes delays,” but for a critical project, it’s important to get everything right.

Contributing: KIRO Newsradio

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