Here’s how a public transit megaproject advances from voter approval to opening day.
Construction
Construction schedules vary widely from project to project depending on complexity. Some of the factors that influence schedule and budget include:
Highly technical project elements, like digging tunnels or building bridges over waterways or wetlands.
Existing development around the project. Building in dense residential or business settings often means additional constraints — for example, work may only be performed during certain hours, or the project might require special mitigation for noise.
External factors such as labor disputes, material shortages, unforeseen site conditions, and weather.
Property acquisitions and relocations.
Use the slider to compare track construction work on the Federal Way Link Extension (left) with the finished alignment, which opened in 2025 (right).