Sustainable design and environmental restoration are becoming important considerations in major public transportation projects. The Downtown Redmond Link Extension in Washington has received regional recognition for incorporating environmental measures into the delivery of new light rail infrastructure.
The $165 million design-build project received an Award of Merit for Excellence in Sustainability in the 2026 Engineering News-Record (ENR) Northwest Regional Best Projects competition. An independent panel evaluated 39 projects across Washington, Oregon and Alaska, selecting 13 Best Projects and 14 Awards of Merit.
The extension is part of Sound Transit's East Link Extension and expands light rail access across Redmond and the greater Seattle metropolitan area.
The 3.4-mile project was delivered through a partnership involving Stacy Witbeck and Kuney Construction, with Hensel Phelps responsible for the parking garage and station facilities.
The construction programme included:
The delivery scope also included infrastructure and systems design, installation, testing, safety certification and systems integration to prepare the alignment for public operations.
Sustainability planning began during the design phase, with the project team identifying Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) credits and establishing targets for certification.
Measures included low-emitting construction materials, energy-conscious heating, ventilation and air conditioning design, and a photovoltaic array to support the project's LEED Gold certification goals.
Environmental restoration was another significant component of the work.
The project included a 232-foot pedestrian bridge over Bear Creek and associated floodplain and riparian restoration activities. Crews removed an abandoned railroad bridge made from creosote-treated timber and installed large wood structures along the stream to improve fish habitat.
Additional work covered more than two acres of riparian wetland enhancement, invasive vegetation management, tree planting and restoration of the stream's surrounding floodplain.
All in-water construction activities were completed within a single environmental work window to limit disruption to the aquatic environment.
The award recognises the combined efforts of the project partners and Sound Transit in delivering transportation infrastructure alongside environmental improvements.
For transit owners and infrastructure contractors, the project demonstrates how early sustainability planning, coordinated design reviews, renewable energy installations and habitat restoration can be incorporated into large-scale rail construction programmes.
The Downtown Redmond Link Extension provides an example of integrating transportation expansion with environmental considerations across the design and construction process.
Source: hensel Phelps.
