05.25.21
Seattle, WA – Construction of the final segment of the East Lake Sammamish Trail is set to begin in June 2021. This 3.5-mile segment of the paved trail is considered the “missing link” in a 44-mile regional trail connecting the Ballard Locks in Seattle to Issaquah and the foothills of the Cascades. This segment, located in South Sammamish, will be constructed in two phases. Stage 1, beginning next month, includes 1.65 miles. Stage 2, anticipated to begin construction in 2022, includes the final 1.85 miles.
The East Lake Sammamish trail is an 11-mile trail that runs along the former Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroad track from Redmond to Issaquah. King County purchased the land in 1998 and first opened the gravel trail in 2006. Parametrix has played a role in this project since 1999, working on multiple aspects of the project, including corridor mapping, stream delineation, survey, permitting, public outreach, design, and construction management.
View from a completed segment of the trail toward the City of Sammamish’s Sammamish Landing Park and the lake beyond.
Segment B includes 47 new retaining walls, 24 reconstructed intersections, 6 new fish-passable culverts, 7 new rest stops, 1,600 new native trees, and 3.28 acres of wetland, buffer, and shoreline mitigation area. It will also feature 12-foot-wide paved surface with two-foot gravel shoulders on each side, providing the highest degree of accessibility to people of all ages and abilities.
The pandemic has further illustrated the critical need for outdoor community spaces for all. This trail serves as an important connection to parks and transit – including the Southeast Redmond light rail and Marymoor Park. Completion of the final trail segment is expected in 2023.
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