The National Railroad Construction and Maintenance Association (NRC) has named the Federal Way Link Extension (FWLE) Project performed by Kiewit Infrastructure West Co. with its Large Project of the Year (project more than $25 million). The NRC presented Kiewit with the award at the NRC's annual conference in Hollywood, Florida, on January 10, 2026.

FWLE expands Sound Transit’s Link light rail 7.8miles south from Angle Lake to Federal Way to serve the SeaTac, Des Moines, Kent, and Federal Way communities. The extension opened on December 6, 2025, and connects South King County to Sea-Tac International Airport, downtown Seattle, and the University of Washington with high-capacity transit.

The $1.7-billion design-build program delivered three stations and three parking garages — two new, one expanded — totaling nearly 3,200 stalls. Scope included 2.5 miles of elevated guideway construction, civil and structural work, utility relocations, stormwater facilities, and full systems integration. Signature engineering includes a500-foot cast-in-place balanced-cantilever bridge — the longest rail span inthe network.

High performance in these areas contributed to project success:

• Safety – With construction in adense, live-traffic corridor, the project recorded zero fatalities over sixyears and zero recordable inquiries in 2023 and 2024.
• Quality Work – Quality was builtin with over-the-shoulder design milestone and independent checks before Issued-for-Construction release. In the field, daily quality walks, immediatenon-conformance capture and resolution, and transparent dashboards elevated visibility for everyone.
• Expertise - Building adjacent toI-5 required precision logistics and sequencing. Close coordination with WSDOT’s concurrent SR 509 program prevented work-zone conflicts and kept bothprojects on schedule.
• Plan-Before-You-Work - A plan-before-you-work culture kept everyone aligned.
• High Energy Tasks and CorridorHazards – The project team engineered controls for high-energy tasks andsequenced exposure out of the workday wherever possible.
• Commercial Strategy and Design Innovation – The project team systematically reduced cost and risk through Alternative Technical Concepts (ATCs) — submitting 53, with 34 approved — while coordinating more than 350 permits across four municipalities and stateagencies to maintain momentum.

Sound Transit Executive Project Director Linneth Riley-Hall recommended Kiewit for its exemplary delivery of the project. “The project exceeded Sound Transit’s objectives for scope, safety, quality,community access, and operational readiness. Throughout delivery, Kiewit consistently demonstrated professionalism, technical expertise, and closecollaboration with our agency, partners, and communities.”

Major Subcontractors:

• Mass Electric Construction Co.
• Parsons Transportation Group
• Absher Construction Company
• KLB Construction

 Major Suppliers:  

• Concrete Technology Corporation
• Heidelberg Materials
• North Coast Electric
• Progress Rail
• The Reinforced Earth Company

About the NRC:  The NRC is a U.S. trade association that advances the mutual interests of railway contractors and suppliers whoconstruct, maintain and supply freight railroads and rail-transit and passenger lines. Founded in 1978, the NRC connects members with other railway industryprofessionals and government officials and policy makers. The NRC collaborates with its members, government, and industry leaders to create a positive business climate and to make railway construction and maintenance safer and moreefficient.