Safety repairs force closure of bridge along Burke-Gilman Trail in Kenmore, Sept. 11-22

The Burke-Gilman Trail, one of the most popular trails in King County's 175-mile trail systems, will be closed at the Swamp Creek Bridge in Kenmore for 12 days beginning Sept. 11 as vital repairs are made to the bridge.

The closure is necessary for King County crews to replace decaying timbers on the 85-year-old bridge. The work, which should be wrapped up on Sept. 22, is expected to cost the King County Parks Division about $70,000 to complete. Project costs are being covered by the division's capital improvement budget which is funded by Real Estate Excise Tax funds.

Trail users are advised to use alternate routes during the closure period. More information on the project is available by calling Robert Foxworthy, King County Parks, at 206-263-6206, or Joe Hicker, King County Facilities Management Division, at 206-263-7284.

The Burke-Gilman Trail begins at Eighth Avenue Northwest in Ballard and follows an old railroad right-of-way along the Ship Canal and north along Lake Washington. At Blyth Park in Bothell the trail becomes the Sammamish River Trail and continues for 10 miles to King County's Marymoor Park in Redmond. The trail's total distance is 27 miles.

King County Parks - Your Big Backyard - offers more than 25,000 acres of parks and natural lands, including such regional treasures as Marymoor Park and Cougar Mountain Regional Wildland Park, 175 miles of regional trails, plus pools and a world-class aquatic center. By cultivating strong relationships with non-profit, corporate and community partners, King County Parks enhances park amenities while reducing costs. Learn more at http://www.metrokc.gov/parks/.