The West Seattle Link Extension for Sound Transit Record of Decision has been delayed until April 29. The project originally approved for $1.6 billion in a three county vote in 2016 has ballooned in cost to $7.1 billion in the latest estimates.
The West Seattle Link Extension, an ambitious initiative to expand light rail service from downtown Seattle to West Seattle's Alaska Junction, has announced a shift in its timeline. The Issuance of the Record of Decision, initially targeted for February 28, has been moved to April 29, 2025. This is not the first delay. Originally it was to be issued in the spring of 2024, then moved to the fall. Finally it was moved to Feb. 28. The latest delay is under new Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy.
The project cannot go forward with design, expected to take two years, until the Record of Decision is issued.The original forecast was for design to be complete by 2027, with a five year construction process to follow.
The information appears on the Permitting Dashboard for the Federal Infrastructure Projects.
The project, overseen by the Federal Transit Administration, aims to add 4.1 miles of light rail1. The extension will integrate a combination of elevated, ground-level, and underground tracks, connecting four stations: Alaska Junction, Avalon, Delridge, and SODO.
The Sound Transit board is due to vote Thursday on Resolution No. R2025-03, a real estate acquisition measure that impacts West Seattle. Early property acquisitions are contingent on the Federal Transit Administration's release of a Record of Decision.
The Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) was published earlier than expected on September 20, 2024, which initiated a public review period.
For further details, stakeholders can reach out to Todd Tillinger, Environmental Protection Specialist, at FTADashboardinquiry@dot.gov.
Additional project information is available on Sound Transit's public participation website
