Translate
Safety upgrades coming soon as work gets underway on final segment of old interim East Lake Sammamish Trail
Summary
Safety and accessibility upgrades are coming to a 1.7-mile-long stretch of the East Lake Sammamish Trail in Sammamish, as construction crews convert the last remaining segment of the old interim trail into a final master planned trail with a wide paved surface and other improvements.
Story
Upgrades are coming to the final segment of King County’s East Lake Sammamish Trail, as crews begin work to convert a 1.7-mile stretch of the trail through Sammamish from a gravel-topped interim trail into a master planned paved trail that is wider, safer, and offers more amenities for trail users.In order to ensure safety of the public and construction workers, the trail will be closed from Southeast 33rd Street to the north side of Mint Grove Driveway (550 feet south of Southeast 8th Street) beginning June 1. The closure is expected to be in place until late fall 2022.
East Lake Sammamish Parkway, which runs parallel to the ELST, features bike lanes and sidewalks for people who want to travel around the closed trail stretch.
Want to explore other King County trails in the area? Try the new TrailFinder website, which offers detailed information about local regional trails, plus miles of nearby backcountry trails. Check out TrailFinder at gismaps.kingcounty.gov/TrailFinder/.
Work planned along the closed stretch of the ELST includes removing the existing interim gravel trail surface and constructing an 18-foot-wide trail comprised of a 12-foot-wide asphalt surface with 3-foot-wide gravel shoulders on each side of the paved pathway, installing concrete sidewalk connections, retaining walls, fencing and signage, plus wetland mitigation planting and landscaping.
The trail will be made safer by improved sightlines, enhanced intersections, and improved drainage.
The $11.9 million total project cost is funded in part by the 2020-2025 Parks, Recreation, Trails, and Open Space Levy.
The final portion of the ELST that will be redeveloped from an interim soft-surface trail to a paved regional trail is Part 2 of Segment B, a 1.9-mile-long stretch from Mint Grove Driveway to Inglewood Hill Road. Construction is expected to begin in late fall 2021 and be completed in fall 2023.
Design and construction of South Sammamish Segment B will continue to adhere to agreements made during the planning phase to provide a safe, multi-use regional trail for bicyclists, pedestrians, joggers, skaters, strollers, wheelchairs, and users of all ages and abilities.
Visit the project website for ongoing construction updates and additional information. Questions? Call the project hotline at 1-888-688-4886 or via email.
King County purchased the 11-mile-long East Lake Sammamish rail banked corridor in 1998. An interim soft-surface trail opened for public use in 2006.
The ELST follows a historic railroad route along the eastern shore of Lake Sammamish within the cities of Redmond, Sammamish and Issaquah. Part of the “Locks to Lakes Corridor,” the trail follows an off-road corridor along the lake and through lakeside communities.
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 kingcounty.gov/eastlakesammamishtrail.
RELEVANT LINKS
• East Lake Sammamish Trail
FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:
Doug Williams, King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks, 206-477-4543
About King County Parks
King County Parks - Your Big Backyard - offers 205 parks and 32,000 acres of open space, including popular destinations such as Marymoor Park and Cougar Mountain Regional Wildland Park, plus 175 miles of regional trails, 250 miles of backcountry trails, and a world-class aquatic center. We envision parks, trails, and natural lands for all, sustained with the cooperative efforts of our community.