Sound Transit has officially narrowed the field to four major heavy-civil construction finalists for its critical W200 contract. This crucial contract covers the construction of a 1.5-mile segment of elevated and at-grade guideway between SODO and Delridge, forming the physical backbone of the West Seattle Link Extension (WSLE).

The four shortlisted firms selected to compete for the General Contractor/Construction Manager (GC/CM) contract are Kiewit Infrastructure West, Skanska USA Civil, Granite Construction, and Stacy and Witbeck.

Building a Signature Transit Corridor

The winning contractor will take on some of the most technically challenging work in the entire WSLE program. The contract's scope centers on 1.5 miles of aerial and street-level light-rail guideway and a signature new cable-stayed bridge over the Duwamish Waterway, including its towers, foundations, and cable systems.

Because the project sits within tight industrial right-of-way constraints, the builder must coordinate complex staging near active maritime operations, freight rail, and SODO traffic. This W200 contract represents early civil work that must be completed before downstream station construction packages can proceed in Delridge, Avalon, and the Junction.

Designing for a 2035 Launch

This procurement push comes as Sound Transit advances the WSLE program into its final design phases. The agency recently authorized a $341 million final-design contract with Jacobs Engineering, alongside a $48.7 million project-management contract with Mott MacDonald + WSP. Sound Transit has also authorized the acquisition of 55 properties to clear the corridor's right-of-way.

While the WSLE opening year was recently shifted from 2032 to 2035 as part of an agency cost-savings plan and ST3 financial reset, the W200 package is designed to be one of the first "shovel-ready" construction contracts once final design is achieved.

Next Steps in the Timeline

The W200 procurement will advance through its request for proposals (RFP) stage through late 2026, with construction management services coming online this winter. Sound Transit targets early 2027 for the official GC/CM contract award, paving the way for groundbreaking and early utility work in mid-to-late 2027. Major heavy civil construction of the bridge and guideway is scheduled to run from 2028 through 2034, with testing and initial service scheduled to begin in 2035.