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Sound Transit Board identifies Preferred Alternative 

At its June 26 meeting, the Sound Transit Board of Directors identified a preferred alternative for the Tacoma Dome Link Extension (TDLE). The Preferred Alternative includes: 

  • South Federal Way (SF) Segment: SF 99-West alignment with a design refinement to transition the alignment to the east side of SR 99 near the King/Pierce County line and the SF 99-352nd Station.
  • Fife Segment: Fife I-5 alignment with the Fife Station.
  • Tacoma Segment: Close to Sounder alignment with the Portland Avenue Station and Close to Sounder Station.  

Prior to identifying the Preferred Alternative, the Board considered the findings from the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), public comments received on the Draft EIS, additional analysis in response to Draft EIS public comments, Sound Transit’s Equitable Engagement Tool, and staff recommendations. Read more about the Board action in our press release and the Board Motion, or watch the recording.

The identification of a preferred alternative is not a final decision on the project to be built. This action indicates where the Board is leaning based on the information available at this time. The Board will make a final decision on the project to be built after the evaluation of the Preferred Alternative and other alternatives in the Final EIS, expected in 2027.

Next steps

Sound Transit continues to advance project design and fieldwork in preparation for the Final EIS. We’ll continue to work with Tribal Nations, local jurisdictions, property owners, and community members throughout the project corridor.

Stay tuned for details on upcoming station area planning workshops, and encourage your friends, family, and neighbors to subscribe to project updates to stay informed.

Need more information now?

Review the project overview or visit our website for additional background information and resources. Sign up for email updates for all the latest news as the Tacoma Dome Link Extension develops.

Have questions or want to schedule a briefing with a member of the project team?

Contact us
Email: tdlink@soundtransit.org
Phone: 206-398-5453

Project overview

The Tacoma Dome Link Extension includes four segments: Federal Way, South Federal Way, Fife, and Tacoma. The project is in the planning phase.

Expanding regional light rail from Federal Way to Tacoma

The TDLE will add nearly 10 miles of light rail service to our regional transit system via mostly elevated tracks as it crosses through the cities of Federal Way, Milton, Fife, and parts of King and Pierce Counties. It also crosses the ancestral and reservation lands of the Puyallup Tribe of Indians. This project includes four new light rail stations in the South Federal Way, Fife, Portland Avenue, and Tacoma Dome areas. These stations will also connect to transit services, including the Sounder S Line, the T Line, ST Express, King County Metro, Pierce Transit, and Amtrak.

Map showing the Tacoma Dome Link Extension project. The project route travels from the future Federal Way Downtown station to downtown Tacoma near the Tacoma Dome and T-Line. The map outlines several route alternatives in the 3 main project segments: South Federal Way, Fife, and Tacoma. The map uses 4 zoomed-in boxes to show possible station locations in the station areas: South Federal Way, Fife, Portland Avenue, and Tacoma Dome.
Click to enlarge map

The text below describes the image above

Map showing the Tacoma Dome Link Extension project. The project starts at the Federal Way Transit Center with a route traveling south with a station area in South Federal Way in the vicinity of Federal Way Crossings shopping center. The route continues south and curves west to enter a station area in Fife. The route continues west to cross over the Puyallup River to enter two station areas, one near Portland Avenue and one near the Tacoma Dome, where the project ends.

Draft EIS

We published the Draft EIS on Dec. 13, 2024, and invited Tribal Nations, agencies, and the public to provide formal comments during a 60-day comment period that ended on Feb. 10, 2025. Read the Draft EIS Engagement Summary and the Draft EIS Comment Summary Report for more information.

After considering the Draft EIS findings, comments received, and the project staff recommendation, the Sound Transit Board identified the Preferred Alternative click for definition. Sound Transit will now prepare a Final EIS that analyzes the Preferred Alternative along with the other alternatives evaluated in the Draft EIS.

How to access the Draft EIS

The Draft EIS includes analysis of the alternatives studied during environmental review. Learn how each alternative could affect historic and cultural resources, homes and businesses, ecosystem resources, and more.

What’s an EIS?

An Environmental Impact Statement helps Tribal Nations, agencies, and the public understand a project's potential impacts on the natural and built environments. It also identifies ways to mitigate any unavoidable impacts. Through this process, we analyze how each alternative affects the environment and identify potential mitigation measures. The EIS helps decision-makers, the public, and our project partners consider the possible environmental impacts of each potential site during construction and operation.

Federal Way

Federal Way

The Federal Way (FW) Segment extends from the Federal Way Downtown Station to approximately South 344th Street.

On June 27, 2024, the Sound Transit Board selected the South 336th Street site (preferred alternative click for definition) as the project to be built for the Operations and Maintenance Facility (OMF) South along with the 1.4-mile segment of light rail tracks connecting it to the Federal Way Downtown Station. Based on the Sound Transit Board's action, we will construct the FW Segment of tracks as part of the OMF South project. Due to the timing of the Board action on OMF South, the TDLE Draft EIS includes impacts for constructing the FW Segment. The TDLE Draft EIS also analyzes the operational effects of this track section as it will support daily light rail function once TDLE is in service.

Map outlining the boundary of the preferred segment alternative, Federal Way Enchanted Parkway, of the TDLE south tracks between South 344th Street in the South to just south of South 320th Street in the north. This alternative will be built at the same time as OMF South.

Click to enlarge

South Federal Way

Learn about the alternatives and stations studied in the South Federal Way segment.

The South Federal Way Segment extends from South 344th Street through Federal Way, the Puyallup Tribe of Indians Reservation, Milton, and unincorporated Pierce County to the City of Fife boundary near Wapato Way East.

Map outlining the South Federal Way segment route and station alternatives from approximately South 344th Street to South 320th Street, mostly along State Route 99 or Interstate 5. The map shows the Preferred SF 99-West alternative and Preferred SF 99-352nd Station. There are three other route alternatives, two design options, three other possible station locations, and one station option.
Click to enlarge map

South Federal Way alternatives

In the South Federal Way Segment, there are four alternatives and two design options:

  • Preferred SF 99-West Alternative*
  • SF Enchanted Parkway Alternative
  • SF I-5 Alternative
  • SF 99-East Alternative
  • 99-West Design Option
  • Porter Way Design Option

*The Preferred SF 99-West Alternative differs from the SF 99-West Alternative in the Draft EIS. During the Draft EIS comment period, we received concerns about the number of property impacts, potential relocations, and wetland impacts associated with the SF 99-West Alternative through Milton. To potentially reduce impacts in this area, Sound Transit began studying a modification to this alignment that transitions from the west side to the east side of SR 99 at the King/Pierce County line and continues through Milton before aligning with the west side of I-5 near Fife. The Preferred Alternative includes this refinement. The former path of the SF 99-West Alternative through this section is now called the 99-West Design Option.

South Federal Way stations

We studied four station locations and one station option click for definition in South Federal Way:

  • Preferred SF 99-352nd Station
  • SF Enchanted Parkway Station (352nd Span Station Option)
  • SF I-5 Station
  • SF 99-Enchanted Station

Fife

Learn about the alternatives and stations studied in the Fife segment.

The Fife Segment is within the reservation and trust lands of the Puyallup Tribe of Indians and the City of Fife. The segment extends from the eastern city limit near Wapato Way East to the western city limit near the Puyallup River.

Overview map of the alternatives and stations studied in the Fife Segment from approximately the Wapato Way East connection to Pacific Highway East and the 20th Street East crossing under Interstate 5. The map shows the Preferred Fife I-5 alternative and Preferred Fife Station. There are two other route alternatives and two station design options shown.
Click to enlarge map

Fife alternatives

In the Fife Segment, we studied three alternatives:

  • Preferred Fife I-5 Alternative
  • Fife Pacific Highway Alternative
  • Fife Median Alternative

Each alternative can be paired with any station in the Fife Segment.

Fife stations

We studied three station locations in Fife that could be paired with any of the alternatives:

  • Preferred Fife Station
  • Fife 54th Avenue Station Option
  • Fife 54th Span Station Option

Tacoma

Learn about the alternatives, Portland Avenue stations, and Tacoma Dome stations studied in the Tacoma Segment.

The Tacoma Segment includes the area from the Fife/Tacoma city limit across the Puyallup River to the existing Tacoma Dome Station, through reservation and trust lands of the Puyallup Tribe of Indians. The Portland Avenue Station area would be within the reservation lands. The Tacoma Segment of the project will have two stations: Portland Avenue and Tacoma Dome.

Overview map of the alternatives and stations studied in the Tacoma Segment which extends from the start of the Puyallup River along Interstate 5 and ends near East D Street on either East 25th or 26th Street. The map shows the Preferred Tacoma Close to Sounder alternative and station and Preferred Portland Avenue Station. In the Portland Avenue station area, there is one other design option and station option shown. In the Tacoma Dome station area, there are three other alternatives and station locations shown.
Click to enlarge map

Tacoma alternatives

In the Tacoma Segment, we studied four alternatives:

  • Preferred Tacoma Close to Sounder Alternative
  • Tacoma 25th Street-West Alternative
  • Tacoma 25th Street-East Alternative
  • Tacoma 26th Street Alternative

Each alternative could be paired with either of the Portland Avenue Stations.

Portland Avenue stations

After crossing the Puyallup River, all alternatives would travel northwest to serve the elevated Portland Avenue Station located between East Portland Avenue and East Bay Street.

We studied two station locations near Portland Avenue that could be paired with any of the alternatives:

  • Preferred Portland Avenue Station
  • Portland Avenue Span Station Option

Tacoma Dome stations

We studied four Tacoma Dome Station locations that each pair with one respective alternative:

  • Preferred Tacoma Close to Sounder Station
  • Tacoma 25th Street-West Station
  • Tacoma 25th Street-East Station
  • Tacoma 26th Street Station

Information for property owners

To build the TDLE project, Sound Transit will need to purchase and use private property. In some cases, this means relocating people from their homes or businesses.

If you are a property owner, you may have received a letter from Sound Transit about your property before the Draft EIS publication. This notification does not mean Sound Transit has decided that we need to purchase your property. Depending on the alternative selected to be built, Sound Transit may need to acquire some or all your property at a later project phase.

As a reminder, Sound Transit will not finalize decisions on affected properties and acquisitions until after publishing the Final EIS and Board action to select the project to be built. The Board action is expected in 2027.

Learn more now

Our project team is available to help with any questions you may have about this process. To learn more:

Please note that specific effects to individual properties are not yet finalized. We know this period of uncertainty can be stressful. We are here to help.

Frequently Asked Questions

Next steps

We will continue environmental review and coordination with key stakeholders until the publication of the Final EIS, expected in 2027. We will evaluate the Preferred Alternative along with other alternatives in the Final EIS.

2025–2026

  • Environmental review and early design continue

2027

  • Final EIS publication
  • Sound Transit Board selects the project to be built
  • Federal Transit Administration issues Record of Decision

Late 2027

  • Begin final design

2029

  • Begin construction

2035*

  • Forecasted in-service date

* Parking at the South Federal Way and Fife stations is forecasted to open in 2038.