The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has signed a $US 790m full funding grant agreement (FFGA) with Sound Transit for the Federal Way Link Extension Project. Sound Transit will also receive up to $US 629.5m in US Department of Transportation credit assistance through the Build America Bureau under the Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (Tifia) programme
The 12.6km extension will run from Angle Lake through SeaTac and Kent-Des Moines to Federal Way in southern King County. The project will serve a dense suburban corridor where the existing road network is constrained, and travel options are limited to two congested roadways.
Construction is set to begin early this year and the extension should open in 2024. LRVs will operate at 6-8 minutes headways in peak hours. The extension is expected to carry 29,000-34,000 passengers per day by 2026.
“Commuters in Seattle can now look forward to a one-seat ride between King County, Sea-Tac Airport, downtown Seattle, and the University of Washington,” says Ms Jane Williams, FTA’s acting administrator. “This extension will improve access to jobs, healthcare, educational opportunities, and other destinations in the Puget Sound region.”
FTA’s CIG programme provides funding for major US transit projects. Since January 20 2017, FTA has advanced funding for 25 new CIG projects totalling approximately $US 7.5bn.
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