We conduct a multiband photometric investigation of LINEAR 16694484, a low-mass-ratio contact binary system featuring an orbital period of 0.2492762 days, close to the theoretical lower limit for contact systems. Utilizing the PHOEBE modeling suite combined with Markov Chain Monte Carlo sampling, we analyze multiband light curves and infer a fill-out factor of ∼33%. Complementarily, analysis of Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite photometric data yields consistent results, confirming the system’s overcontact configuration. The rare combination of such a short orbital period and an extremely low mass ratio (q ≈ 0.11) renders this system a valuable testbed for probing binary evolution theories. By combining new eclipse timings with archival data from multiple sky surveys, we detect a secular decrease in the orbital period at a rate of , most plausibly attributed to mass transfer from the more massive primary component to the less massive secondary. As the system undergoes progressive orbital contraction, the Roche lobe radii are reduced, which intensifies the contact degree and establishes LINEAR 16694484 as a plausible progenitor of a contact binary merger event.

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