Sound Transit has secured an agreement with the federal government for a $1.2 billion grant to go towards the planned 8.5-mile Northgate-to-Lynnwood light-rail line in Washington State, in the Seattle area.
The agreement between Sound Transit and the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) still must undergo a 30-day congressional review period, but it is more than likely it will be finalized next month.
An estimated 68,500 daily riders are expected to board the Lynnwood Link trains, which will provide an option to avoid some of the nation’s worst highway delays. Trains from Lynnwood would reach the University of Washington in 20 minutes, or downtown Seattle in 28 minutes. Early work contracts for the rail line would likely be approved next month, and construction should begin in early 2019. The rail line is scheduled to be completed in mid-2024.
Along with the $1.2 billion grant, the FTA also approved more than $650 million in federal loans for Sound Transit to complete the Lynnwood line. The project had already been allocated $200 million in federal funding. Sound Transit would receive the remainder of the funding in installments through 2028.
In 2017, the cost of the Lynnwood line soared from an estimated $2.4 billion to as much as $3.2 billion. Voters approved the Lynnwood line back in 2008 with the Sound Transit 2 initiative, but planning has dragged, with the project’s timeline at least six months behind schedule.
Source: Seattle Times