Sound Transit tells Des Moines: Federal Way Link 96.5% complete, revenue service targeted spring 2026

Sound Transit briefed the Des Moines City Council Committee of the Whole on construction progress for the Federal Way Link Extension June 5, saying the project is nearly complete and on track for passenger service in spring 2026.

"We're confident that Federal WayLink Extension will open for revenue service in the spring of 2026 in time for the World Cup. The project is currently 96.5% complete and we're deep into systems testing along the full alignment," Lynette Riley Hall, the Federal Way Link Extension executive project director, told the committee.

Sound Transit representatives described the extension as nearly 8 miles of light rail from Angle Lake station through three new stations: Kent Des Moines, Star Lake and Federal Way Downtown. Project elements include new and expanded parking structures — a roughly 1,100‑stall garage proposed at Star Lake and a roughly 500‑stall garage at Kent Des Moines — plus bus‑rail transfer improvements and staging areas planned for future transit‑oriented development (TOD).

Riley Hall said Sound Transit is planning multiple TOD sites and has selected Mercy Housing Northwest to develop one north site adjacent to Kent Des Moines with a Mercy/Open Doors partnership to deliver more than 230 units of affordable housing and neighborhood services. "Mercy Housing is on track to close on the project by the end of this year with groundbreaking to follow soon after," she said.

Riley Hall and Sound Transit staff described other project milestones: completion of a new bus loop at Federal Way Downtown (opened March 30), substantial completion of major civil work on a long‑span bridge subject to specialized engineering, and a successful vehicle test run across the key bridge segment in January. The project team showed photos of station areas, parking structures and staging yards and said two TOD sites near Federal Way Downtown will be packaged for request for proposals as early as the month of the briefing.

Council members raised pedestrian and vehicle‑crossing concerns at Pack Highway near Kent Des Moines, connections between local bus service and stations, and how the project will serve Highline College students and nearby neighborhoods. Riley Hall said Sound Transit would follow up on questions about bus routing and early coordination with Highline College on potential TOD partnerships. On safety concerns for pedestrians crossing Pack Highway, Riley Hall said the issue is not part of the Sound Transit project but she would take the council’s questions back to project planners.

The Federal Way Link Extension officials also thanked city staff and operating partners at King County Metro and Pierce Transit and noted coordination with WSDOT and local jurisdictions. No council action was requested; the briefing was for information and coordination.