The Lynnwood Link Extension

The Lynnwood Link Extension (L300) is a $778 million project that will extend the light rail link between Northgate and Lynnwood in Seattle, Washington, bridging the cities of Shoreline, Mountlake Terrace and Lynnwood. Skanska’s delivery of the project includes the construction of 3.8 miles of aerial guideway, two elevated stations and a five-story parking garage at the Lynnwood Transit Center, designed to accommodate over 4,200 vehicles.

Skanska, one of the world’s leading construction companies, is no stranger to complex civil and infrastructure projects and is the leading contractor for the L300 project. Here their involvement began in 2019 when the company was selected to advance the design. The project, a joint venture between Skanska’s building and civil teams, capitalizes on the different business units’ combined expertise. Joe Butorac, Skanska’s Assistant Quality Manager on the project, noted, "A unique opportunity has been partnering with the building team. We've learned that while civil vernacular and building vernacular are different, training and collaboration allowed us to speak the same language and was proven very successful.”

Due to the several fish-bearing waterways adjacent to this project, safety and environmental protection are high priorities during construction. For example, the McAleer Creek wetland in the southern portion of the project is a highly sensitive area, spanning over an acre. Instead of clearing all of the existing trees and foliage in the area, Skanska opted to install a 1,200-LF beam and lagging shoring system along the I-5 freeway. This allowed the project team to build a slivered working space adjacent to the freeway, without the need for a traditional sloped embankment workbench. By implementing Skanska's alternative strategy, the project team was able to preserve 97% of this wetland.

Throughout the project, Skanska’s integration of tools like Procore allowed them to stay on track, ensure quality and facilitate stakeholder communication. Butorac spoke to this, stating, “Punch List is probably the tool I use the most, and it's really effective for tracking everything. Early on, I worked with Procore to make sure it worked for everybody involved. Our clients had a couple of requests for adding locations and drawing numbers, and Procore helped customize our punch list tool.” Additionally, Skanska’s work on this project earned it a position as a 2023 Groundbreaker Awards Finalist for General Contractor Project Excellence. With both stations, the rail and garage, projected to be operational by mid-2024, the Lynnwood Link Extension is a testament to Skanska's robust construction background and the forward-moving vision of Sound Transit.