Sound Transit to open Link 1 Federal Way extension on Dec. 6

Sound Transit will begin service on the Link 1 Line light-rail extension to Federal Way, Washington, on Dec. 6, the Seattle-area transit agency announced yesterday.

The Federal Way extension, which is now in pre-revenue testing, adds 7.8 miles to the Link light-rail system, mostly via elevated track between Angle Lake and downtown Federal Way, according to Sound Transit’s expansion webpage.

The new route also includes three new stations at Kent Des Moines, Star Lake and downtown Federal Way. The extension will connect Federal Way to the rest of the Link system, including stops at the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and Seattle.

Planning for and construction of the Federal Way Link extension project has been ongoing for over eight years. Construction began in 2020.

The cost of the extension is an estimated at $2.5 billion, including a $629 million federal loan and $948 million in grants, according to a report from The Seattle Times.