New Segment of Trail Connecting Lake Washington to Puget Sound Opens to Public

03.19.20

Photo courtesy of King County taken at the February 26 ribbon cutting.

Seattle, WA – Another one-mile segment of the Lake to Sound Trail has opened in King County. This latest segment is part of the long-term King County Parks project to connect Lake Washington to Puget Sound with a 16-mile trail linking to four other regional trails and transit.

Parametrix has played a role in the project since 2008 when planning began. Subconsultant HWA Geosciences, Inc. also provided significant foundation design and construction observation roles.

The latest stretch of trail to open connects the City of Tukwila’s Fort Dent Park to the City of Renton’s Black River Riparian Forest via a railroad underpass and a new bridge across the Black River. The construction of the bridge included a soil drilling activity to inject a slurry of concrete into the soil and stabilized the riverbank. This allows the bridge foundation to withstand seismic events.

Photo credit: Eli Brownell, King County

Other safety features include a 160-foot long overhead fence canopy to protect trail users from debris cast down by high-speed commuter trains and a pedestrian-actuated signal (referred to as a HAWK) which allows pedestrians to safely cross a busy road.

The trail adheres to King County Parks’ regional standards with 12-foot-wide trail, 2-foot-wide surface shoulders, and 1-foot-wide clear zone on each side.

Trail users can expect to catch glimpses of the largest heron rookeries in the region, learn about Native American communities that once resided along the nearby shores, or bike-commute to the connecting Green River Trail. 

Parametrix is working with King County Parks to design the next phase, which will connect Burien and SeaTac to Des Moines. It is scheduled to begin construction in 2021.