Written by For those of you who have not heard, Renton is partnering with King County and several Eastside cities to build a premier bike and walking trail from Coulon Park to Woodinville. The trail will utilize the abandoned East Side Rail Corridor, that has been preserved under a Federal “rail-bank” program that keeps it intact by trail use and preserves the possibility that it could one day again have active rail on it.
The first phases of trail construction will begin later this year, with a goal that the entire, incredible project will be completed by 2020.
This project will open the century-old Wilburton Rail Trestle to hikers and bikers, who for the first time will be allowed to traverse the 100 foot-high-wooden structure on a new deck that is 16 feet wide. This is certain to become one of our region’s top attractions.
The above video provides a preview of the trestle crossing (minus deck and railings)
The trail will cross I-405 near the trestle, over a new pedestrian/bike bridge that will be built in South Bellevue near the location where the southbound I-405 tunnel was removed during the last I 405 widening a decade ago. Before this widening project, the rail crossed I-405 on a lid over the freeway.
Construction in Renton will start this year with the tracks being lifted, and a new compacted gravel surface being installed in their place. The trail will be open to the public in this form initially, and a year or two later it will be paved to 16 feet wide. The trail is wider than most of our others, as we are trying to make room for bikes and hikers in both directions.
This trail will be a valuable connection on the eastside, and a valuable amenity for Renton residents. Funding is coming from King County Parks and Trails bonds with contributions from a number of other governmental agencies,
The map above shows the extent of the new trail
It looks like the plan considers is but If it’s wide enough, it would be nice to split out a walking from biking.
Increasingly bikes are electric – and there’s some mighty big people zooming along at 30 mph on the Cedar River trail like a giant slab of meat on wheels.
From a biker’s standpoint, drunk bums and children (possibly drunk too) wander around too much to be predictable and are a nuisance.