Cedar River Trail bridge replacement project will improve access for trail users, vehicles

By replacing an aging and undersized bridge along the Cedar River Trail in Maple Valley, King County will improve conditions for trail users and for motorists using the bridge’s underpass.

Work is scheduled to begin Nov. 15 on replacing trail bridge over Upper Dorre Don Way Southeast as part of the King County Parks’ Bridge and Trestle Rehabilitation Program.

Pedestrian access will be restricted at both sides of the bridge. There will be no pedestrian detour linking the trail on both sides of the bridge construction area because of impassable site constraints.

The existing multi-span timber trestle bridge has a vertical clearance of just 10 feet six inches. A supporting pier in the center of the underpass roadway beneath the bridge presents an ongoing safety issue to vehicles and pedestrians using the underpass.

The replacement bridge will be a single span that offers a minimum vertical clearance of 16 feet six inches, with no need for a supporting pier.

This project is expected to be completed by June 1, 2009, at an estimated cost of $550,000. Project costs are being covered by the division’s capital improvement budget, which is funded by Real Estate Excise Tax funds.

While vehicular access through the construction area will be closed for the duration of the project, an alternate route for neighborhood access is available. Motorists can access the area south of the bridge via Lower Dorre Don Way Southeast.

In the event of flooding along the nearby Cedar River, emergency access through the construction area will be available along Upper Dorre Don Way Southeast.

The nearest pedestrian access points are Southeast 238th Street, approximately half a mile to the east, and Maple Valley Riverside Park at Witte Road Southeast, approximately one and a quarter miles to the west. The trail will be open to the immediate construction area on both sides of the bridge with warning signage posted at each access point.

For more information on the project, call Chris Erickson, King County Facilities Management Division, at 206-263-0445; or Robert Foxworthy, King County Parks Regional Trails Coordinator, at 206-263-6206.

The Cedar River Trail follows the Cedar River from where it enters Lake Washington in the City of Renton upriver to the community of Landsburg at the boundary of the City of Seattle’s Cedar River Watershed. The trail follows an historic railroad route between the river and State Route 169, and passes through or near Renton, Maplewood, Cedar Mountain, Maple Valley and Rock Creek.

At 17.3 miles in length the Cedar River Trail is a paved, off-road trail for the first 12.3 miles. The trail has a soft surface for the last five miles, beginning at the City of Maple Valley.

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 www.kingcounty.gov/parks/.

Related Information

Cedar River Trail

King County Parks - Your Big Backyard