King County officially opens Redmond stretch of East Lake Sammamish Trail

New pavement, fencing, parking lot added to 1.2-mile section through Redmond

Offering a preview of what the rest of the 11-mile-long trail will look like in a few years, King County today formally opened a 1.2-mile-long stretch of the East Lake Sammamish Trail (ELST) through Redmond, with smooth blacktop, improved drainage and convenient trailside parking.

"More than merely paving, this is a new, accessible regional trail that provides a paved trail corridor all the way to Seattle and offers a first glimpse of what the trail will look like between here and Issaquah," said Deputy King County Executive Fred Jarrett at today's trail dedication ceremony. "We are making good on our commitment to build the type of multi-use regional trail system that will benefit King County residents and their communities for decades to come."

Opened one month earlier than scheduled and for $1.5 million less than originally budgeted, the completed ELST runs from Northeast 70^th Street to the Redmond-Sammamish border at 187^th Street, where it returns to its interim trail surface of crushed rock. Next spring, King County will begin work on the stretch of the trail through Issaquah.

The trail project included construction of a 77-stall parking lot at Northeast 70^th Street, adjacent the trail. The project was designed by Parametrix and constructed by Tri-State Construction.

The regional trail system provides extensive opportunities for recreation and non-motorized mobility and commuting throughout King County. Once the ELST is fully developed, it will be part of a 44-mile-long regional urban trail corridor from Seattle's Ballard neighborhood to Issaquah.

More information is available at www.kingcounty.gov/eastlakesammamishtrail.

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King County Parks - Your Big Backyard - offers more than 200 parks and 26,000 acres of parks and natural lands, including such regional treasures as Marymoor Park and Cougar Mountain Regional Wildland Park, 175 miles of regional trails 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.kingcounty.gov/parks/.

Related information

East Lake Sammamish Trail

Lake Sammamish

King County regional trails