The Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA) loan will be used to build the 23.3km East Link light rail line which will connect the existing Link light rail line in the city centre with Bellevue and Redmond.

The $US 4bn project is due to be completed by 2023. Ten new stations are planned and forecasts indicate that around 50,000 daily passengers will use the new line by 2030.

The DOT is also contributing $US 14m in Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) funds and $US 74.7m in Federal Transit Administration funding towards East Link.