LYNNWOOD—With Sound Transit’s Link light rail expansion to Lynnwood finally opening this Friday, August 30, the project’s numerous hands who diligently made it a reality can finally take a breather before it’s all hands-on deck to Everett.

Several moving pieces had to come together to make the project a reality from jurisdictional differences; to engineering innovations, to keeping costs and environmental impacts at a minimum. We spoke with one of the Lynnwood Link light rail expansion’s leading engineers from HNTB on the project to gain a behind-the-scenes look to bringing light rail to hundreds of thousands of Snohomish County residents.

What stands out about this project to Moein El-Aarag, Group Director and Associate Vice President at HNTB, is its sheer scale and complexity, he informed the Lynnwood Times. Unlike the smaller projects he has managed in the past, Lynnwood’s light rail had a significantly larger footprint. The length and scope of the work, combined with the need to navigate multiple jurisdictions, made it a uniquely rewarding experience for El-Aarag to be a part of.

“It feels incredibly rewarding [to have been a part of the light rail expansion]. I’m truly grateful to be working on a project of this magnitude that will have a lasting impact on Western Washington,” El-Aarag told the Lynnwood Times. “There’s a unique satisfaction in being part of something that connects communities and improves lives on such a large scale… I couldn’t be prouder to contribute to a project that will bring such significant benefits to our community, both now and for future generations.”

Sound Transit’s Lynnwood Link light rail expansion is particularly special to El-Aarag as a Lynnwood resident. He continued that the impact of the project goes beyond improving mobility it will “enhance the quality of life for many people across the region.”

One of the project’s biggest challenges was its multi-jurisdictional scope, as it runs through three different cities — Lynnwood, Mountlake Terrace, and Shoreline. Since each station had its own unique requirements, as far as dynamics and passenger circulation needs, the same design could not be replicated for all four stations requiring each to be tailored to fit the individual needs of the community.

HNTB also collaborated with Sound Transit and needed to ensure its design was consistent and compliant with the transportation authority’s standards along the 8.5-mile stretch, all while keeping costs under control. HNTB’s team selected the most effective type of structure for the region—precast concrete girders which the company used consistently throughout most of the stretch.

“Our goal was to support the contractor and the owner by quickly addressing their needs and adapting to the evolving situation, helping to keep the project on track,” said El-Aarag.

As the project’s design phase advanced, HNTB and its partners ensured that they fully understood and integrated the environmental requirement into the project’s design process.

“Environmental permitting was a constant consideration throughout, and our task force worked diligently to incorporate these requirements from the outset,” said El-Aarag.

El-Arag shared an example of how teamwork between Sound Transit and Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) led to a cost-effective solution and accelerated the project schedule.

During the design phase of the Interstate 5 crossing near the Mountlake Terrace, it became clear that costs would be higher than initially expected to build the structure. By thoroughly understanding the scope of work including movement of traffic (MOT) elements, HNTB adjusted the original plan, which initially called for a cast-in-place, concrete balanced cantilever structure. Instead, the team opted for a more traditional cast-in-place structure with falsework with additional slight adjustments to the alignment, which allowed the existing Mountlake Terrace Freeway Station to remain operational during construction.

This successful outcome was largely due to the collaborative nature of the project, which was delivered through a General Contractor/Construction Manager (GCCM) contracting method. According to El-Aarag, this approach fostered a more interactive environment, allowing Sound Transit, the designers, contractors and WSDOT to engage in meaningful dialogue throughout the design process.

Now that Lynnwood’s Link light rail station is finally opening, Everett, Snohomish County’s largest city, is next on the list for future expansion.

El-Aarag attended a community event in Everett about a year and a half ago where it became more apparent that the city of Everett has a strong desire to be connected via the light rail system.

“The event was packed—there was hardly any room to move around. The whole community was excited and eager to learn more about the light rail,” said El-Aarag. “It’s exciting to see the Everett Link extension becoming more of a reality. HNTB is looking forward to the opportunity to contribute to this next chapter in expanding the region’s transit network.”

When El-Aarag’s team began working on the Lynnwood Link project, it was transitioning from the design of East Link, which connects Seattle and Bellevue—a major project that partially opened a few months ago.

Lynnwood Link benefitted from the experience gained from East Link engineers who transitioned to work on El-Aarag’s team. HNTB was able to hit the ground running on Lynnwood Link with an experienced team that was familiar with the challenges of large-scale transit projects, El-Aarag told the Lynnwood Times.